Jeffrey Brookshire

An Interview with Jeffrey Brookshire

• Hello Jeff. Can you tell us about your background and how you got into film making?

I have been a writer for most of my life and there really comes a time when you have to stop dreaming and start doing. Filmmaking is always a risk but, if you aren't willing to take a risk on yourself, why should anyone else? So it was really just time to take the next step.

• What was the inspiration behind your new film, Awaken the Dead?

I was at home one night, playing a video game, when I heard a knock on the door. It was about 1AM and our front door is locked and protected by a locked gate and a locked iron screen door... so it was impossible for anyone to actually be knocking on the door. So I did a perimeter check and saw nothing. It kind of freaked me out. I realized how quickly your safe home can be transformed into a trap. That paradigm shift was the beginning on the story idea. Later, in bed, I thought "How freaky would it be if I rolled over and peeked out of the blinds and saw people standing there?" That sent a shiver down my spine and I thought "What a great scene for a movie." Click. That's how it started. I knew then that I had to find a character to follow who was interesting and find a reason that someone would be afraid in their own home. My last few screenplays had been imbedded with a horror element mainly because I know that horror sells, so I thought... zombies! Bear in mind, I am not a big horror fan but rather a fan of all movies so the zombies were more of a plot device than a reason to make the movie. And it all grew from there.

• Being the son of a minister yourself, is it a coincidence that the main character in Awaken the Dead is a priest and there's also a Jehovah's witness in there? Which is a roundabout way of asking if you are imbuing a personal spiritual belief into the story?

The Jehovah's Witness part was hilarious, for me. The witnesses picked the wrong house at the wrong time in the wrong neighborhood. No disrespect meant. I just think it's funny. As for the priest, I needed a character who was motivated by guilt. The Catholic Church is well know for its guilt. Again, no disrespect was meant but it works for the story. What makes him guilty? Two children he accidentally killed when he was a government agent trying to take out a terrorist. Guilt drives him to the church and so on. So most of the choices were story driven. Might some extremist religious groups be upset by the sight of a two gun slinging priest blowing away the undead? Yes. But the story is a redemption tale. Not specific to any religion, though that is the mechanism, but rather a statement about chaos and the modern world pulling you off center and the struggle to face your inner demons in order to be whole. There are messages and levels of meaning layered into the movie but it is, first and foremost, entertainment. You laugh, you get scared, you thrill, etc. We contacted maybe a hundred churches before we found one willing to let us film in it. One older Catholic church told us that zombies contradicted their beliefs in life after death. It's a movie! I don't believe Jedi Knights, Mutants or ancient pirate curses either but they make great subject matter for... movies.

• You list some very big names as your film influences; Stanley Kubrick, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Luc Besson and Sergio Leone. They're all great story tellers as well as film makers, is this how you see your approach to film making?

Yes. Story comes first. Period. You can have a big budget, great FX, great sets, great actors, etc. but, if you don't have a good story, you don't have a good movie. Second, they are all fluid filmmakers. The music, images and story all flow. They all have character and they want to entertain. Plus, they're cool. They're unique. They are all very artistic and visual directors with the ability to tell a tale and make it live. They are my role models as directors.

• Following on from the last question, when you think of classic, iconic films, Zombie flicks don't usually spring to mind, unless you're a horror fan. So why Zombies for the first film that you produce, write, direct and edit?

I know. But, without a big budget and big stars, I had to work within the most universally popular genre I could find. Some teenager in Manila, Rome, Paris or Japan might not get a subtitled drama or comedy but they understand horror/action. Also, most people who see this film walk away thinking of it more as a spy story with dark humor that just happens to have zombies in it. It's as universal as I could make it. And a priest with guns blazing is iconic... something that everyone can grab a hold of.

• Can we expect Slow, lumbering Romeroesque zombies, or the more sprightly 28 Days Later variety?

Both. Zombies are like people (They used to BE people). They come in every variety.

• Given Hollywood's obsession with re-making just about everything and anything, if your were offered buckets of money and the choice of films to remake, what film would you choose?

I would NOT touch the classics like APOCALYPSE NOW or A CLOCKWORK ORANGE because they are timeless and perfect. But it might be fun to remake The MAGNIFICENT SEVEN or THE GREAT ESCAPE. Maybe even EXCALIBER.

• What is the most enjoyable aspect of film making for you?

Pre-production is the least favorite. The rest are all fun. But seeing it all come together in a film edit in front of a live audience is the scariest and most enjoyable part. Having others finally see the whole of what you have held in your head alone before that.

• What are your ambitions as a film maker?

I want to write and direct big budget action films. It's shameless, I know. But that's what I want to do.

• Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Jeff, and the best of luck with Awaken the Dead.