Modern society often extravagantly honors the flashiest pop culture stars who seemingly garnered fame for just being themselves, as the public largely wishes to live their lives vicariously through their favorite socialites and reality stars. But there are also those people who adamantly despise such celebutantes, who accumulate their fortune without having any noteworthy talents or abilities, and wish to see them fall from grace. But rarely does anyone have the audacity to take drastic measures to stop what they perceive to be culture’s continued descent from elegance. But the title character of first-time feature film writer-director Martin Owen’s new independent black comedy crime film, ‘L.A. Slasher,’ which opens today in select AMC theaters nationwide, deviously does just that, in his mission to purify civilization of those people he deems unworthy.
‘L.A. Slasher’ follows the illegal exploits of the pop-obsessed title character (voiced by Andy Dick), who’s a serial killer who thrives on showing the public that fame-obsessed celebrities, and those who are striving for worldwide fame, are destroying society. The mask-wearing criminal sets out to kidnap those celebrities who he deems don’t have any true talent, from the Teen Mom (Tori Black) and the Pop Star (Drake Bell). He then broadcasts videos of himself killing the public personalities on his popular website. Each new post receives more views and social commentary from media outlets that crave the sensational story to increase their viewership.
The Actress (Mischa Barton) becomes even more anxious with every murder the L.A. Slasher commits, as she fears that she may become his following victim the next time he prowls the city’s streets. Other potential victims, including The Stripper (Marisa Lauren), The Socialite (Korrina Rico) and The Heiress (Elizabeth Morris) also become concerned about the likelihood of them also becoming the title character’s next target, especially after The Reality Star (Brooke Hogan) barely escaped her encounter with him. With the city’s corrupt Mayor (Eric Roberts) failing to protect those he promised to keep safe, the fearless L.A. Slasher continues building a case against those who are famous for being famous. He’s determined not to stop until he can convince everyone that he should be ridding the entertainment industry of those who are unworthy of their fame.
Owen generously took the time recently to answer questions about making his feature film writing and directorial debuts on ‘L.A. Slasher.’ Among other things, the filmmaker discussed how the movie examines an aspect of modern culture that bothers a majority of the public, who question why people are becoming famous for the sake of being famous, without having any true talent; and how as a first-time feature scribe and helmer, the biggest lesson he learned on the movie was to listen to his instincts, and to fully commit to a project’s identity, even though it won’t make everybody happy.
ShockYa (SY): You served as one of the co-writers on the script for the upcoming satire crime film, ‘L.A. Slasher.’ What was the collaboration process like with your fellow writers as you were working on the script, including developing the idea for the story?
Martin Owen (MO): When I initially came on board the project, there was a title and an idea. I wrote the screenplay with Elizabeth Morris and developed it further during the post-production with Abigail Wright. It was a very organic and long process, but a fun one!
SY: In addition to co-writing the screenplay for ‘L.A. Slasher, ‘ you also made your feature film directorial debut with the movie, after you wrote and helmed several short films. What was the transition process like going from writing and directing the shorts to the feature? How did working on the script for the feature influence the way you approached your directorial duties?
MO: For anybody directing their first feature film, there’s always going to be learning curve, and ‘L.A. Slasher’ was no exception. It was certainly very challenging. and more time- and life- consuming than anything I had previously worked on. I think if you write the script for, and direct, a film, you’re always taking both jobs into consideration. It is a balancing act, but something I truly enjoy.
SY: The movie serves as a satire on America’s cultural obsession with reality TV and celebrities, with the title character offering humorous commentary on his views on how that fascination has tarnished society. While The Slasher is committing such heinous crimes as kidnapping and murder, many people praise him for his actions on television and social media. Why do you feel it was important to emphasize people’s growing disdain for celebrity culture in the film?
MO: I think first and foremost, ‘L.A. Slasher’ is a fun genre movie that looks at an aspect of modern culture that annoys a lot of people. We are trying to raise a mirror up to the current obsession with becoming famous for the sake of being famous. I think long gone are the days of people becoming famous because they are known for excelling in a specific field, or having a talent.
In the movie, people start to empathize with The Slasher, and we think the audience will, too. I think the audience may feel a bit weird about championing a protagonist who goes about making a point inn such a weird and gruesome fashion! At the end of the day, though, it’s a fun film that certainly does not come from a place of hatred.
SY: What was the process of creating The Slasher’s overall look, including his androgynous mask and tailored white suit? Did you want to give him a more sophisticated look than the typical serial killer in crime films, in order to reflect that the public is supportive of his actions?
MO: When Brittany (Ann Cormack, the film’s costume designer,) came to me with the idea of a white suit, I was all in. The mask came about because I wanted The Slasher to have a borderline asexual appearance. The Slasher is a blank canvas that helps emphasize the message The Slasher’s preaching about identity. It all also looked great covered in blood.
SY: What was your working experience with Andy Dick, who provided the voice for The Slasher in the film? How did his experience being a comedic actor and a comedian influence the way he approached voicing the role?
MO: Andy was great. The guy has a lot of energy, which is exactly what the role required. Andy’s comedic approach was exactly the right match for the satirical tones of both The Slasher and the piece as a whole.
SY: ‘L.A. Slasher’ features a diverse supporting cast, including Mischa Barton, Eric Roberts, Danny Trejo, Drake Bell, Brooke Hogan, Korrina Rico and Elizabeth Morris. What was the casting process like for the rest of the cast, particularly in finding actors who could authentically showcase the characters being susceptible to The Slasher’s wrath?
MO: The casting process was long. but I think we have a great blend of actors who have, and pardon my expression, ‘been around the block, ‘ and new talent who really had the ability to embody the character types. Some of the casting was certainly life imitating art, but I will leave people to work out who I mean.
SY: What was the process of developing the characters and the story with the actors once they were cast? Did you have any rehearsal time with them before filming began?
MO: We had very little time to rehearse, in all honesty. I think there is a rawness to the performances that ring true with the characters they are portraying.
SY: Like The Slasher, the supporting characters in the film are just referred to by their profession, including The Actress, The Mayor, The Drug Dealer, The Pop Star, The Reality Star, The Socialite and The Heiress, instead of their real names. What was the motivation behind the characters’ generic naming-was it meant to reflect that society doesn’t truly identify with public figures, and instead just focuses on their stereotypes?
MO: Exactly-the movie is dealing with the broad strokes of types, rather than the nuanced details of individuals.
SY: What was the experience of filming ‘L.A. Slasher’ on location in Los Angeles, and how did it influence the creativity of developing the characters and the story?
MO: Los Angeles is a place I hold very close to my heart. I spend a lot of time out there, so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t attacking the place as a whole. It was more about holding up a mirror to a particular part of modern society. LA serves as a delicious backdrop.
SY: Are there any films and filmmakers, particularly in the crime, comedy and satire genres, that influenced your creative approach to making ‘L.A. Slasher? ‘
MO: I am a huge John Carpenter fan, who’s my film-making hero.
SY: As a first-time feature director, are there any lessons you learned about making movies, especially indies, that you would apply to your next projects?
MO: I think the biggest lesson I learned, and am continuing to learn, is to listen to my instincts, and to draw a line between constructive, well observed critique and subjective opinion. In other words, it’s best to find a project’s identity and commit to it, and don’t try and dilute to keep everybody happy.
SY: Besides ‘L.A. Slasher, ‘ do you have any upcoming projects, whether writing, directing or both, that you can discuss?
MO: I am currently in Post Production on my second feature film, which is a science fiction thriller called ‘Let’s Be Evil.’ It’s a real passion project for me, and it’s something very unique that audiences will not have seen before. We are very excited about it.
Written by: Karen Benardello