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The
Ringuette: Talking with
Actor/Director/Producer/Writer
Lory-Michael Ringuette by Owen
Keehnen
Northern
California resident Lory-Michael Ringette
has been making movies for well two
decades. His first speaking role was in a
feature film was as The Undead
Half-Creeper in the cult horror
favorite The Video Dead. In
the years following Ringuette has accrued
an impressively lengthy list of credits
highlighted by his
director/writer/producer/actor duties for
Deeply Disturbed (about a
devoted son who wants mom to meet his
girlfriend so he brings her body
to his mothers grave!) as well as
his newest director/writer/producer/actor
feat Tele-Zombie. He has also
taken on directing/acting chores in
Blood Reaper about five
friends who go on a camping trip and end
up being just smore notches on a serial
killers belt.
Ringuettes
additional features include Shadow
Hunter, the cult-fave Frezno
Smooth, a role as Cecil Thorne in
Savage Instinct (which also
has the delicious alternative title
They Call Me Macho Woman),
Nightfall,
Firefight, Prisoner of
Time, Sharpley in This Gun
for Hire, Down Time,
Steel Heel, and Walls
of Sand. His latest work was acting
as well as an assistant directing job in
the upcoming The Curse of the
Smoke-O-Lantern with frequent
collaborator Michael Stewart. In addition
his writing has also appeared in such
magazines as Trashola, the
wonderful Psychotronic, and
Film/Tape World.
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Owen: Your first
film role was as The Undead Half-Creeper in 'The
Video Dead' (1987). How did that
role come about?
Lory-Michael: Yes, "The
Video Dead" was my first speaking
role in a theatrical feature. I landed the role
the old fashion way by submitting my photo/resume
and getting called in to read. Since most
of my screen time was going to be as a zombie,
Robert had me do a zombie walk, etc.
Owen: One of your most deeply
disturbing films is 'Deeply Disturbed'
(1995) - which you wrote, directed, produced, and
starred in as the ultimate murdering mama's boy
Howard Wilson. What were the most important
things you discovered about filmmaking from
taking on all those roles?
Lory-Michael: Mainly it's tough
to wear so many hats on a set. I didn't
find directing & acting at the same time to
be a problem but producing it as well was the
difficult part. Because I personally was
taking on so many of the jobs, filming (yes, it
was actually shot on film) ended up spread out
over 2 years instead of the 2 months originally
planned.
Owen: Was playing such a
delicious psychotic fun and therapeutic?
Lory-Michael: When I originally
wrote the screenplay, it was planned for me to be
one of the detectives. I ended up playing
Howard only because I knew I was the one I could
count on to be there from start to finish of the
production. It was challenging playing
such a sick individual but I'm proud of what I
did with it. Filmmaking in general is
fun & therapeutic for me.
Owen: By taking such a creative
role in the making of the film were you able to
pretty much capture you initial vision for it?
Lory-Michael: Like most
low-budget/no-budget productions, the film
ended-up somewhat different from the original
script. Working totally independently frees
you from being told what you can or can't do but
on the other hand you are limited to working with
what is available to you. That means being
willing to bend and change as you go. The
trick is to find ways to use those changes to
make your production better. One major change to
the script was its location. "Deeply
Disturbed" was originally written
to take place in a cabin out in the woods because
it seemed that would be the easiest way to shoot
it. In order to do that, I would have
needed to transport and house an entire cast
& crew. Then a friend who manages an
apartment house, offered me the use of an empty
apartment for a couple of weeks. That
brought about a quick re-write and a much scarier
scenario. Now our victim was held captive in
a location where there were people all around and
yet, no one would help her. I honestly feel
this made it a better movie.
Owen: Almost a decade later you
produced, wrote, directed and gave yourself a
role in 'Tele-Zombie'.
Were things easier the second time around?
Lory-Michael: Much easier!
Owen: Tell me about 'Tele-Zombie'.
Lory-Michael: "Tele-Zombie" is a homage to the horror/comedies (and cartoons)
of the 60's. I wanted to make a feature
that actually could have been released back
then. It doesn't make fun of
"B" movies. Instead, this was
written in a "style" that Roger Corman
or Alex Gordon might have used. I'm
very happy with how it came out!
Owen: Racks and Razors favorite
Brinke Stevens has also appeared in your two
latest directing efforts 'Tele-Zombie'
as well as 'Blood Reaper'.
As a self-proclaimed horror fan were you a bit
star struck meeting as well as having to direct
her?
Lory-Michael: Actually we both
had started our acting careers about the same
time and became friends before shooting either of
those features. It's hard to believe but
I've now had principal roles in over 40 movies as
well as commercials, TV shows, industrials, &
even music videos, and have worked with such
stars as Bill Cosby, Jeremy Slate, Rosemary
Clooney, Glenn Close, Tom Courtney, Lynda Carter,
& many others. It was easy directing
and working with Brinke who I consider a friend.
Owen: Tell me a bit more about 'Blood
Reaper'.
Lory-Michael: I was a just a
hired gun on "Blood Reaper",
directing & acting. Michael Stewart,
the producer, was the driving force behind that
one. It was shot in about a total of 14
days near Yosemite and in the SF Bay Area.
I was happy to hear it was just released in both
England and in Japan (wonder what I sound like
speaking Japanese?). Michael & I
continue to work together often.
Owen: It's interesting. I
also remember reading in your bio that you
started shooting monster movies when you were
given an 8 mm camera for your 11th B-day.
Do you the films still exist? Can you see
any sort of continuum between your instinctive
work as a youth and your work today?
Lory-Michael: Yes, the early 8mm
films do exist but none have been transferred to
video. Since I'm still basically just a big
kid making horror movies (mostly with
friends), the only real difference is I've
now got to get everyone to sign releases.
Owen: So with acting and
directing and writing and producing...which gives
you the most creative satisfaction?
Lory-Michael: Directing has
always been my greatest love. Acting comes
in a close second. Writing & Producing
are things I do in order to get a chance to do
the first two.
Owen: Your films frequently
combine horror and humor, what makes that such a
potent combination for entertainment?
Lory-Michael: They are my two
favorite genres but I just love good
filmmaking. "Fargo",
"Night Of The Living Dead",
"Duck Soup", &
"Shall We Dance?" (The
original Japanese film) all have something in
common. In my eyes, they are great films.
Owen: Your film career also
seems decidedly "zombie-centric".
Are the undead your favorite fright creatures and
if so why? What that core zombie appeal?
Lory-Michael: Yes, I do like
zombie movies. Even bad ones. "Garden
Of The Dead" is one of my
favorites. Because of my connection to
"The Video Dead" and
"Tele-Zombie", people
do think of me that way. Truth is, these
are the only two features (so far) with zombies
that I'm a part of. I've been in all kinds
of movies, including cult films like "Frezno
Smooth", "Savage
Instinct" & "Down
Time".
Owen: What's next for you?
Lory-Michael: I was assistant
director & actor in an upcoming production
called "Curse Of The Smoke-a-lantern"
directed by Michael Stewart. It kind of a
Halloween "Alice In Wonderland".
Not quite like anything you've seen before.
Pushing "Tele-Zombie"
is important to me but finding more work in front
& behind the camera is always my biggest
concern.
Owen: What scares in real life?
Lory-Michael: The real world
horrors, war, child abusers, animal abuse, etc. |
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