Courtney Solomon – Exclusive Interview
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Staci Layne Wilson / Horror.com: How did you come up with the idea for Horrorfest?
Courtney Solomon: I came up with the idea through frustration. We were watching a lot of horror films for potential acquisition and release. Many were on the cusp of being theatrical but not quite there, so we were frustrated because we thought the horror audience would love a chance to see some of these in the theatres. We thought, Why not create a weekend where we could show a bunch of these films to the audience, in the best possible way, in the theatres. So, that is where Horrorfest was born.
Q: How did you select the 8 Films to Die For?
A: We watched over 50 films and looked for the best of the bunch which were also all representing a different type of horror (i.e., they were not all slasher films). We only had two months to choose and part of our plan, if hf#1 is a success, is to have a full year to choose next year and to make the fans, through the web, help to make the selections through voting.
Q: There's more than 8 films though, right?
A: There are actually 10, but two are just sneaks.
The Abandoned
Dark Ride
Reincarnation
The
Penny Dreadful
The Gravedancers
Wicked Little Things
Snoop Dogs Hood of Horror
The Tripper
The last two get their own limited theatrical release in the first half of 2007 and the audience favorite of the other 8 Horrorfest films will get a full wide theatrical release in January of 2007.
Q: How, exactly, does the "festival" work, since it's not in one location?
A: Well, it is like a regular release but there are different films every two hours. We have a general schedule for the weekend on our website horrorfestonline.com basically, three films play every day, (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) twice a day. You can check on the horrorfestonline.com website for theatre locations under buy tickets. The times from each theatre will vary a bit from our schedule. So, basically you either pre-buy tickets online (through our site, Fandango, Moviefone or MovieTickets.com), you pre-buy at your local theatre where Horrorfest is playing, or you just go to the box office of your theatre and ask for Horrorfest – 8 Films To Die For, knowing in advance which film you want to see and the time it is playing. Again, you will have to check the horrorfestonline.com website to find out which films play on which night and at what time.
Q: How will Horrorfest revolutionize and invigorate our favorite film genre?
A: This is the biggest film festival ever and it is for horror fans and the horror genre. It gives the chance for independent films to be seen that otherwise an audience would not get the chance to see in commercial theatres across the nation. It’s a tribute to the genre, and if it succeeds then we create an event that we will all be able to go to every year.
Q: Do you think you'll be making this an annual event?
A: Definitely. I hope so. We need everyone who is a horror fan to support us. In order for that to happen. There is not a lot of profit to be made by releasing films for one weekend. Even though its only 500 theatres, there are ten films so that is 5000 prints that need to be made and shipped, not mention the advertising budget. We are doing this so that next year this event becomes a major deal. Something that would happen in several countries around the world at the same time. So, we need fans to get out there and show everyone that we are right, horror is cool and is here to stay. Remember, its only one weekend (November 17 – 19) so we need people to support us this weekend and then we will all have this forever.
Q: Who is Miss Horrorfest, and how was she selected?
A: She has not been selected yet. There are four finalists which were picked from YouTube by putting up their own 60 second videos. Since then they have been putting up videos trying to get fans to vote for them so they can win the $50,000 prize and become the scream queen for Horrofest for 2006. She is supposed to be the spokes-person for horror all year long. The winner will be announced on Kimmel on November 16 and she will be crowned live by David Arquette and Jimmy. For more info, you can go to YouTube or the Horrorfest website.
Q: What trends are you seeing emerging in the horror movie genre?
A: Obviously, the Saw and Hostel franchise are hugely successful. That said, I think that there will continue to be a new variety because so many directors have become interested in the genre. I personally would like to see more psychological horror films and maybe a few creature features.
Q: How can horror movie fans best make sure that this great "wave" we're on now, continues?
A: They need to keep getting out there opening weekend and showing the studios that they want more horror. Studios are ruled by dollars. If they see dollars then they will continue to make more horror films. We created Horrorfest so that the fans could see films in the theatres that the studios were too scared to show them. We think that fans should have a chance, even if only on a limited basis, to see everything (or at the least the best of indie horror) in the theatres. So, people need to get out there this weekend and say “I’m going to see Horrrofest instead of Casino Royale or whatever else is in the theatre”.
We need to show that this new type of concept, and specifically horror, can rule at the box office. So, this weekend, November 17-19, go see all the Horrorfest films. If you do, you get a free t-shirt and if you have a t-shirt and you are in
Q: What are some of your own favorite horror movies that have come out in the past year?
A: This year has been a busy year for me [so I haven't seen many movies] Of course, I love An American Haunting because I made it. I actually like The Descent a lot. That was probably my favorite.
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