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Faithful readers of this site may remember an independent film I reviewed a little while back, “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid”, written/directed/produced/edited by Christopher Golon.  Well recently I had the pleasure of exchanging some emails with Mr. Golon and he was gracious enough to answer some questions:

S: What led you to film making?

CG: I decided to become a filmmaker about 8 months after graduating high school. I looked into what schools were among the best, decided to enroll in a university closer to me, and then transfer. It was good in theory but then I couldn’t afford, even with loans, to attend the school I wanted to. I was accepted to USC, not the film program, but the university and I really wanted to attend but I couldn’t afford it.

After that, I decided to try and write my way in to Hollywood and that started a long, strange journey. In 2001, I had a screenplay optioned and from that I started to really learn how the whole Hollywood system worked. That deal eventually fell through, and that’s a long story in and of it self, and shortly after that, I realized that I needed to try and make my own film. Between 2002-2004, I dealt with managers and entertainment lawyers but nothing came of it. So, it always seemed to come down to me doing it myself with whatever resources were available.

S: How much of “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid” is truth and how much is fiction?

CG: 75% is based in truth - it either happened to me or someone among my social circle. The other 25% is fiction.

S: What type of director are you?  Do you like to make your camera visible, or are you more of whatever the story requires?

CG: I am a director who just likes to show reality as reality is. I’m not too flashy, yet, and that’s mainly due to budgetary constraints. My camera isn’t usually noticeable, that is if you’re referring to being very ‘film-student’ where you try to be MTV flashy. I like to stick to the way it was in the 70’s when the acting/story mattered.

S: What director has inspired you, or influenced you the most?

CG: I would say two filmmakers have inspired me the most - John Carpenter and Paul Schrader.

S: What in particular is it about Carpenter and Schrader do you admire; or what about their movies move you?

CG: I like Carpenter’s use of the widescreen frame and Schrader’s storytelling. Carpenter creates such great atmosphere whereas Schrader tells stories about people most of us would not want to meet, let alone have a conversation with.

Both of these directors came out the gate with some awesome films. Carpenter had ‘Assault on Precinct 13,’ ‘Halloween,’ ‘The Fog,’, ‘Escape from New York,’ and ‘The Thing.’ Schrader had ‘Blue Collar,’ ‘Hardcore,’ and ‘American Gigolo.’ All of these films are visually stunning, told well, and have minor cults who admire them.

Films like ‘Assault,’ ‘The Thing,’ and ‘Hardcore’ were ripped apart by critics upon their initial release. Now they are seen as classics and I like to think that growing up watching them - I was one of their early fans.

S: What movie do you consider an underrated masterpiece?

CG: ‘The Driver,’ 1978, directed by Walter Hill. It’s so simple yet so deep. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. Bruce Dern is very good in that film and the car chases are among the best ever filmed.

S: I’ll have to look into, “The Driver”.  I do love Walter Hill.  He possesses a happy talent for making movies far better than they have a right to be. What director do you believe does not get the respect he deserves?

CG: William Friedkin. To me you have to look past ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘The French Connection” and look at all of the films he made. “Sorcerer” and “Cruising” are classics of style. I mean, he was vilified for “Cruising” which I saw when I was 15 and it blew me away - it was so risky and just, story-wise, insane. The story, the locations, it was very believable and so unique. Back when I got into that film it was considered trash, only now is it being looked at as something much more and better.

S: I’ll have to queue up “Sorcerer” and “Crusing” in my Netflix queue. As far as William Friedkin is concerned, have you seen, “To Live and Die in L.A.”?  I love the style of the cinema of the 60’s and 70’s as well.  There was something just so unpredictable about those films.  Even standard mainstream movies had an air of unpredictability about them.

CG: I have seen it-(To Live and Die in L.A.)-only once, late at night on TBS. I found it to be an interesting crime-thriller. It had one of the better car chases of the 1980’s and it kicked off the whole - car going against traffic scenario.

S: How do you go about casting?

CG: I try and meet as many prospective actors as possible and then tap into what makes them tick and how talented they are when doing the readings.

S: How do you go about choosing your DP and Editor?

CG: Usually I am my own DP, but not by choice. On my last film I hired a DP and the working relationship was fine. It allowed me more time to spend with actors prior to shooting the scene.

S: What type of story attracts you?  Or are you a director who likes doing any story as long as it’s good?

CG: I usually write and then direct my own material so I come up with stories grounded in life or situations/stories that I’m interested in.

S: How do you work with actors?  Rehearse, rehearse, and rehearse?  Or is it “The camera is here. I’m behind it. If you have any questions ask me?”

CG: I rehearse a lot but I also allow the actors freedom to develop their characters off the information provided in the script. I can tell you the background of the character, where they grew up, etc., etc., etc., and then the actor brings them to life.

S: What are your views on directing?  By that I mean are you a “art as a committee” type, where everyone gets a say in the final product?  Or are you more of my way or the high way?  Quite possibly you could be of the new group of directors emerging, the amalgamation of the two schools of thought?

CG: I am an art by committee director however - the editing is usually my way since I have hands on with the editing. I feel that I could be from the new school since making the movie is very collaborative while editing is not. The footage can hold up - it’s just a way of piecing it together to make everyone’s performances be their best.

S: Do you consider film school to be an imperative to other aspiring directors?

CG: Film school is not required by everyone to make a movie. It will not teach you HOW to make a good movie - they can tell you the basics that you need to TRY and make a film but you either can or cannot do it. It is very difficult and if you don’t have the drive, then you can’t do it. Writing a script is a lonely experience as is directing followed by editing. I mean when you are directing, I agree with what Francis Coppola said and that is: “Everyone on the set thinks they can make a better movie than you.” That is very true and sad at the same time.

S: How did you come up with the way you filmed the riot in “Knock ‘Em Dead, Kid”?  Was it a sort of a no brainier, was it an homage, I’m curious because for some reason or another that scene has stuck with me.

CG: The riot was originally going to be much larger in scale but due to budgetary constraints, it was scaled down. Thus, the way it was filmed was to make it look bigger and more chaotic. To me I see the flaws of it, but I can also see it working due to the editing and sound effects editing. It was always a part of the script and there was no homage or any relation to anything-it stood alone and was created for my film from the original screenplay.

1.    Favorite Muppet?–FOZZIE
2.    Who do you want to make the film of your life?– Paul Schrader
3.    Porn:  Story or no story?– No story.
4.    How will the universe end?– It won’t.
5.    Favorite Tom Hanks movie?—“He Knows You’re Alone.” (1980)
6.    What is the greatest bad movie?–”Galaxy of Terror” (1981)
7.    What upcoming remake are you most pissed about?—“A Christmas Story” (1983)
8.    Who to look out for?– Nothing comes to mind…except my beloved NY Yankees and their playoff run.
9.    Batman or Superman?– Batman because vigilantes are cool.
10.  Favorite Doctor Who episode?– Not a Dr. Who Fan.