I'd have to say “The Exorcist” and The Shining.” Those films spook me, no matter how many times I've seen them.

Was there any film that first got you into horror?

My mother still tells me about how I used to sit in front of the TV as a toddler and watch the daytime series “Dark Shadows.” Apparently I was quite in awe of the vampire Barnabas Collins.

The first horror film I remember seeing was also on television: “The Night Stalker” with Darren McGaven. I was so terrified I couldn't look at the screen, and had to ask my Mom and Dad what was happening.

In spite of my early fascination with horror, however, I mostly found myself watching old comedies and musicals –– films with The Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, W.C. Fields, and Abbott and Costello, etc. I still love those movies.

Of course, my favorite Abbott and Costello films turned out to be the funny spook movies, like “Hold That Ghost” and “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” or “Abbott and Costello Meet the Wolf Man” or “Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.” I also remember being utterly fascinated with “King Kong.”

When I was seven or eight I got two large books on the making of the film and was obsessed with learning about the stop-motion effects. But having said all that, I really strayed away from horror films or books until I was about 21. I was always more into sci-fi. I was also very interested in various religions and belief systems, especially the dark ones like Satanism –– anything that involved pagan rituals, black masses, or ritual sacrifice fascinated me, and still does. But it was when I was making notes on a novel I still haven't written, back when I was 19 and 20, that I suddenly realized that no matter what kind of books I read or movies I watched everything that I created myself always had a macabre flavor to it.

So I simply embraced my dark side and gave up trying to steer my creative mind toward sci-fi or something else. Even today I wouldn't say that I'm really that big of a horror fan, but that the horror is innate within me. It's just the way my brain works.

What or who are your influences?

I would say my first horror influences were writers, first Stephen King and then Clive Barker. I remember while writing the first draft of “Puzzleman” I was up late and then couldn't sleep, so I pulled out the first “Book of Blood” and started reading this new guy Clive Barker. When I read the first short story, “The Midnight Meat Train,” I was totally blown away. That story really changed my life and writing.

As far as my cinematic influences are concerned, I think all the films I've seen have influenced me in one way or another. If I had to name all the movies, directors, writers, and actors that have inspired me, the list would go on for pages. Nevertheless, movies I've come back to time and time again are: “Blade Runner,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “The Abyss,” “Twelve Monkeys,” “Altered States,” “Fight Club,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “Vertigo,” “Psycho,” “Frankenstein,” and “The Bride of Frankenstein,” “King Kong,” “Alien 3,” “Seven,” and that's just the beginning.

What's your take on the current spate of remakes vs. the ultra-sadistic new wave?

CAB: I think the whole remake compulsion is absolute crap. The only reason to remake most films is because the original sucked. There have been a few exceptions, one of which is “King Kong.” I love the old 1933 version and I also love the new Peter Jackson version. But he improved on the original with technological advancement, which allowed for Kong to have a truly realistic screen presence for the first time. The bottom line is, if an original film is a classic then don't screw with it. You don't see anyone running around trying to repaint the Mona Lisa for each new generation. Of course Hollywood wouldn't recognize a piece of art if it ripped then a new sphincter.

As for the new ultra-sadistic new wave of horror films...well, what can I say? They're just plain disappointing as hell. They all threaten to be the most horrifying film ever made, and then I pay my money to see them, expecting to be quite ill while watching, and then they never deliver. They either falter in the story department, or the acting, or the dialogue, or they just become horrific comedies. And some films cover all the failings, like “Hostel.” What a cheesy load of crap. I was laughing through most of it. But was it unsettling or truly horrifying like all the hype and trailer insisted? Hell no! And don't get me started on “Saw,” because I'll be ranting for pages. You talk about writing away the tension for every moment that should've been truly unnerving. Oh, boy...

Ahem, moving rapidly on… You funded your movies yourself, with the liberal appliance of credit cards -- what spurred you on to make that decision? (There must have been a lot of self-confidence/self-doubt involved?)

Yeah, there was an absolute endless amount of self-doubt. Especially when it came down to kicking myself out of my bed for four months so I could remake my bedroom into the “Scream For Me” set. I had already cast the actors before Christmas and had plans to start on the set January 2nd, but for the whole week before, I just laid in my bed in a fetal position, trembling. I was terrified of spending all that money on my credit card. I'd done it before with my bands, so I knew what I was getting myself into and it was utterly frightening. And had I known then that “SFM” would end up costing over twice as much as I originally thought, I really don't know if I would've made it. Today, however, I'm very glad I went through with the film. It's played many festivals and has won several awards, including Best Short Film at the New York City Horror Film Festival.

What actually pushed me to even consider funding “SFM” myself, however, is a bit of a story. About eleven years ago I moved to L.A. with my band THE JUDAS ENGINE. Although TJE had a CD under its belt, was playing gigs regularly, and had a new demo recorded, it was abruptly murdered by circumstances about eight months after our arrival in California. I was suddenly a lost soul and too burned out to pursue music anymore. My only opportunity lay in some good luck I'd had in meeting two professional film producers. They read the unpublished manuscript of my novel, “Puzzleman,” liked the story, and wanted to get it into script form ASAP.

I took the challenge and launched into an endless screenplay writing exercise that eventually went nowhere. I could never please two producers of different minds and myself too.

I also wrote a second feature, “Love Me,” based on an old short story I'd written many years before, but was nearly thrashed to death on it with the first draft. It was then that I realized the only way anyone was ever going to take my cinematic visions seriously, or even understand them, was if I made a film myself. I didn't know any investors and I also wanted to maintain absolute control, so I didn't even consider looking for money elsewhere. I had quite a bit to prove to the world, as well as to myself. Worse still, I wanted to shoot a movie that broke rules. In the case of “SFM,” that meant dealing with controversial subject matter, male nudity, sexual violence, excessive language, back-to-back monologues, a one-room location, and a lead character that constantly wears reflective mirror sunglasses. Most all of those challenges are considered bad luck for a first-time filmmaker.

Which of your projects so far are you most proud of? Do you see yourself as a novelist, a director, a musician, or something else?

I see myself as all of the above, but most people these days see me as a filmmaker. In all truth though, I've been a writer and musician much longer than I've been making movies. Yet it's really my films that have gotten me all my attention. And I am very proud of all of my films; they were all huge accomplishments for me and a tremendous amount of work and emotional ordeal. But having said that, my novel “Puzzleman” is really my crowning achievement. I worked on and off on that book for many, many years. My only disappointment with “Puzz” is that in spite of my best efforts I've hardly been able to get any of my film fans to even look at it. No one seems to read horror anymore, except for Stephen King and whatever mass-market novel old, fat housewives can get at the supermarket. At this point I'm wondering if I'll even bother to write another book. Or even finish my second novel, which I've been 300-pages into for years.

There's a kind of recurring theme in your work of eternal life, in a very twisted way; an anger at, or disbelief in an apparently uncaring God; a feeling that sometimes death is preferable to life. Where does all that rage come from? Do the existential struggles in your films and, to a greater extent, the novel “Puzzleman,” come from personal experience?

Well, at one point in my life I would've said I'm simply addicted to death and depression. Now, however, I'd say I've always been overly sensitive to the absurdity, wickedness, and futility of humanity and life in general. Even so, either or, whatever be the truth, my personal beliefs, frustrations, and fears have always played a huge part in all of my creative endeavors, be them poetry, song lyrics, music, short stories, novels, or films. No matter how hard I might try to simply be entertaining, I only ever find my true inspiration in my personal need to make a comment on (or exploration of) life, people, and the puerile philosophies and contingencies that perennially devour both. It's true; I am a bit of a nihilist. But on the other hand, I'm a walking talking contradiction; I'm an indefatigable advocate of personal and human triumph –– I mean I tear up every time the Space Shuttle blasts off and flies successfully into orbit.

I'm also well aware that I'm one of the luckiest people in the world. I have my health, family, friends, and my art, which many people seem to admire. My problem is why me? Why not that poor guy I heard on the radio today who's fighting tooth and nail to survive cancer? Why him and not me? Is it destiny? Is it pure chance? Is it karma? Is it simply that God's on vacation? Or is it the endless injustice of reality, which, in all likelihood, is the harbinger of inevitable entropy? On the other hand, maybe I just need to get laid.

Did you do a lot of research for “Puzzleman”? Lots of the mythological stuff seems very well and thoroughly thought out; were you interested in all that stuff beforehand?

Yes, I did quite a bit of research. But just enough to know that I'd have to spend the rest of my life researching to really prove any of the historical madness I'm selling as the real deal in the historical section of the book. My goal was to only be detailed enough, and rooted firmly enough in accepted historical fact, that all the vagaries and conspiracy theories would seem possible. I'm sure any real historian would have a stroke if he read “Puzzleman.” Even so, I've been interested in history, especially religious history, since I was in high school. And I always like stories that suggest that maybe things aren't quite like we think they are.

Are you considering filming “Puzzleman” at all? Would you let someone else direct, or would you want to oversee it yourself? (And in a purely hypothetical sense, who'd be your ideal cast?)

I've considered “Puzzleman” as a potential film for a long time now. And absolutely I'd want to write the script and direct it myself. Like most of my stories, in someone else's hands “Puzz” could turn into a real mess. Or a completely tasteless, generally embarrassing joke. As for casting, I really haven't even thought about it except for the Puzzleman character. I've considered actors like Alan Arkin, Michael Ironside, Kurtwood Smith, and even Tony Simmons.

Terry West pointed you in LivingCorpse's direction: what's your involvement with him? How did that come about? Will you be working together at any point?

I first met Terry at the New York City Horror Film Festival in 2003. He had a feature there (“Flesh for the Beast”) and I had my short film “Scream for Me.” I didn't really realize it at the time, but Terry really fell in love with “SFM.” About six or eight months ago we befriended on MySpace and he mentioned he had an anthology project (“Demons of Flesh”) in the works and really wanted to use “SFM” for one of the three films. I said yeah, absolutely! So in a sense we're already working together. He's also going to write and direct a segment for the anthology as well. It should be a great project.

Where do you go from here?

Currently my script “Retard” (co-written with actor John Franklin) is with Christopher Webster (Exec. Prod. “Hellraiser ” & “Hellraiser II”, Prod. “Severed Ties,” (“Children of the Night”). I'm attached to direct, Webster will produce, and John Franklin (“Children of the Corn,” (“Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return,”) will play the mentally handicapped lead. We're still looking for investors, so any interested parties please contact me through my website.

Besides “Retard,” I'm currently putting together elements and loads of extras for a triple feature DVD containing all three of my films, to be titled “3 Dead Girls.” I hope to have the project completed and available by October. I'm also about 300 manuscript pages into writing another horror novel called “Heather's Treehouse.” It isn't nearly as complex of a story as “Puzzleman,” but it's definitely as visceral and graphic. It should be a fun read, if I can ever get the time to finish it. Speaking of which, I'm also about 60 pages into a shorter novel I plan to call M, which is a very personal story and is written in first person with a stream of conscious feel to it –– definitely very different from “Puzzleman” or “Heather's Treehouse.” There are a couple children's stories I'd like write too. And the project list goes on. There's lots and lots to do before I drop dead.