You can ready my retrospective with Jill Whitlow on Twice Dead here.

Jason Bene: How did you write such an amazing script in such a short period of time?

Fred Dekker: I don’t know about “amazing.” But I do remember a lot of blind enthusiasm (and stupidity) in those few weeks — you don’t know what you CAN’T do until you try. My youth at the time had a lot to do with it, too; as a writer, I find there’s lot less second-guessing than when you’re older.

Jason Bene: How did you get the part as Cynthia Cronenberg?

Jill Whitlow: I got the part as Cynthia through my agent. I went on a casting for the role…Fred said that I was just “her.” I then read with Jason and Steve, and it was like we all three just “fit!”

Jason Bene: The prologue is dead on and has that authentic look that was commonplace in 50′s horror and science fiction flicks. Night of the Creeps pays homage to those favorites. Did you spend your youth viewing classics like The Blob and Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

Fred Dekker: Oh, absolutely. By the time I made Night of the Creeps, the visual rhythms and performances of all those ‘50s B-movies had been so absorbed into my DNA, it was kind of like riding a bike.

Jason Bene: Director Fred Dekker has a playful spirit in all of his films. Tongue is firmly in cheek for Night of the Creeps. What was it like working with him from an actor’s point of view?

Jill Whitlow: Fred was so amazing to work with as a director, who actually became my friend. He is like family. Although he was very professional and knew exactly what he wanted (a genius, in fact) he was so clever at making us feel as though we were the characters…he listened to our take on things and incorporated each character into our own personalities.

Jason Bene: I remember growing up and shopping at Woolworth’s, but I would have never thought it could be converted into a makeshift studio for a film set. The perks of low budget moviemaking.

Fred Dekker: The Woolworths we used was on Lankershim in North Hollywood and I think it had been built in the ‘30s. Three stories, Art Deco, very cool building. We built everything from Detective Cameron’s apartment to the police station to the cryogenics lab to the alien spaceship all in an old Woolworths.  Who needs a sound stage?

Jason Bene: You , Jason Lively and Steve Marshall seemed like genuine teenagers and not hired guns. The chemistry you had found its way into real life as you have been hitting the convention scene together. You are the horror version of “The Brat Pack.”

Jill Whitlow: I am crazy about Steve and Jason…when we first read together, we hit it off and became the best of friends right away! I am very lucky. In life…it is very rare (I think) to find and meet people you know you will be friends with for life! I am very blessed to have both of them in mine!

Fred Dekker: Chemistry is something you can’t manufacture. It’s there or it isn’t. And I think I just knew subconsciously that these three made a good triumverate. It’s funny because right after that, Roland Emmerich stole Jason and Jill for his movie Ghost Chase so he must have thought we got something right.

Jason Bene: (Laughs) “Thrill me!” Tom Atkins is a God among boys!! He is the ladies man of horror. What memories do you have of working with him?

Fred Dekker: Never an attitude, never unsure of his lines, always 100% there. More importantly, he embodied the character I’d written but also made it his own. Like the chemistry I talked about above, it was just very easy with him and me. He didn’t need much directing, and what I gave him he seemed to respond to. In fact, Tom might be my favorite working relationship with an actor in my career (and a great friend to this day).

Jill Whitlow: Tom was very professional. He is “just Tom!” He is a natural and has a certain demeanor that works on and off the screen. He’s very likable.

Jason Bene: Did you know that your next film was going to be The Monster Squad? I ask because in Night of the Creeps there is graffiti on the wall of the men’s room where J.C. is trying to escape a number of slugs and it reads, “Go Monster Squad!”

Fred Dekker: Yes. We were closing the deal on The Monster Squad so I thought it’d be a fun way to give a hint of the next one (this is something the guys at Pixar do routinely, by the way, since they have such long lead times on their films). Trivia: in The Monster Squad there’s a poster of Jonny Quest, which was going to be my next film. Until The Monster Squad bombed, that is.

Jason Bene: I think it so cool that you are friends with so many of the gentlemen who you based your main characters names after. You have George A. Romero (Chris Romero), John Carpenter and Tobe Hooper (James Carpenter Hooper), David Cronenberg (Cynthia Cronenberg), James Cameron (Det. Ray Cameron),  John Landis (Det. Landis), Sam Raimi (Sgt. Raimi) and Steve Miner (Mr. Miner – The Janitor). That’s a group of Masters of Horror! Do you joke with them about it at your dinners?

Fred Dekker: I’ve been lucky enough to work with Jim Cameron and John Carpenter, and on the Carpenter project, I had an office at Universal next to Sam Raimi, who became a buddy at the time. I once met with John Landis about doing the sequel to An American Werewolf in London and saw him recently, but to this day I haven’t met Romero, Hooper or Cronenberg.  Steve Miner, of course, shot second unit on Night of the Creeps.

Jason Bene: The cemetery ending vs. the dog ending. Do you have a preference? And what was Tri-Star’s position on the finale?

Fred Dekker: The cemetery ending is the real ending. I showed it to the studio before the effects shot was finished, and they were confused. So we got in a tug-of-war over it which resulted in the zombie dog ending, which I hate. Thankfully, when we did the DVD/Blu-ray, Sony let me put the proper ending back on!

Jill Whitlow: (Laughs) I am partial to the theatrical ending…just because it left people in shock and not knowing if I was creeped or not!

Jason Bene: The Blu-ray of Night of the Creeps is a highlight in my collection. Other than the full theatrical version/ending not being represented (other than an extra feature), this was a powerhouse effort from Sony. I have to give them credit for finally getting it out to the fans. What are your thoughts about it?

Fred Dekker: It rocks. A guy named Bill Karydes supervised the transfer and we did a Dolby 5.0 tweak that very subtly upped the ante in the sound department. And of course, the incomparable Michael Felsher is responsible for all the extra features. I screened the picture digitally at the George Eastman house in Rochester, New York, and it was bar none the best the movie has ever looked or sounded. Sony did a fantastic job and I couldn’t be happier. For me, it’s the definitive version of the movie.

Jason Bene: Have you ever seen the movie Slither? I love it, but I am not happy that the filmmakers said they never heard of Night of the Creeps. The plot concerns a small town that is taken over by an alien plague (slugs), turning residents into zombies and all forms of mutant monsters. Sounds like a certain horror-comedy classic to me.

Jill Whitlow: No, I never saw Slither! And personally, whether they copied the plot from Night of the Creeps or not…it still was not Night of the Creeps!!

Fred Dekker: James Gunn is a friend, and I have no animosity at all. In fact , I think Slither owes as much to The Fly as to Night of the Creeps. Maybe more. And hey, I made The Monster Squad not knowing there was a ‘70s TV show of the same name with the same monsters!

Jason Bene: Audiences thought you would be the typical damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, like we always see in cinema. Then you get a hold of the flamethrower and it’s on! How empowering were those scenes for you?

Jill Whitlow: Well…the flamethrower was great to shoot. I thought it was very cool. I also enjoyed having a part in blowing them up with the flamethrower and the shot gun…it made me (in the film) seem like a fighter not a wimp.

Jason Bene: Were you ever a sorority girl in real life?

Jill Whitlow: (Laughs) No, I was never a sorority girl! I went to a all girls private college in Boston. I did hang out at Harvard a lot with the boys though.

Jason Bene: Do you own Night of the Creeps? If so, do you and your family ever sit down to watch it together so they can see mom kick some ass?

Jill Whitlow: Yes…I do own a copy of Night of the Creeps! My kids love to watch it with their friends. They laugh at my clothes though.

Jason Bene: 25 years later and people are still loving Night of the Creeps. It is impossible to set out to make a cult film, but you have done it twice. This has to be a special feeling for you.

Fred Dekker: I have to say, it’s the best possible scenario of making two bomb movies in a row. As much as my career and self-esteem suffered when they were released, it’s gratifying to know that they have found their audience, and that their audience is as passionate and enduring as one could hope for.  Better to find your audience twenty years late than never!

Robocop saves the day once more. This time the half man/half robot takes on ruthless developers who want to evict some people on “their” land.

For those of you wondering what is the deal with House III (The Horror Show), the answers are right here.

Jason Bene: The story for House was written by your pal Fred Dekker. What kind of changes, if any, did you have to make for the final script?

Ethan Wiley: Fred and I were roommates at UCLA and we had worked together on various plays, short films, and we even wrote my stand-up comedy routines together. There wasn’t a real detailed story for House as I recall. Fred’s original outline had the basic elements of the story: a Vietnam Vet goes into a haunted house and his war experiences come back to haunt him. I was coming out of doing SFX work for Chris Walas on Gremlins and looking to create a movie that would have lots of creatures and effects. So I took Fred’s basic concept and kind of ran with it in a crazy direction, much to Fred’s chagrin. Fred’s original story was a much more serious, straight-ahead horror thriller. But I seem to have trouble writing anything without injecting some level of wackiness and I guess things just got out of hand. We decided to split the story and screenplay credits, Fred came up with the cleverly generic title, but most of the story’s plot, characters, and all of the dialogue were from my screenplay. My only argument against Fred’s complaints was a bunch of great reviews — even from the NY Times. And the boffo box office didn’t hurt either.

Jason Bene: The backstory of Roger Cobb being a Vietnam vet plays like classic Twilight Zone. Host Rod Serling was an Army veteran fighting against the Japanese in World War II. Any connection?

Ethan Wiley: Both Fred and I love the old Twilight Zone episodes. I really wasn’t a film geek, but from being around certified film geeks such as Fred and Chris Walas, I had learned a lot about the classic horror and Sci-Fi films, so there are a lot of different influences in there…

Jason Bene: I love the harmony between horror and humor. While there are some violent scenes, none of it is bloody, and the movie comes off like an EC Comics tale.

Ethan Wiley: Yeah, those old comics definitely had an influence. We actually wanted to make a “family” horror movie — one that kids and older people could enjoy. I know that sounds weird, but back in the day, horror films were really for the whole family. My mother describes her first memories of going to see a movie (that gave her nightmares) when her whole family went to see Phantom of the Opera. So we consciously went against the grain of the times, where the trend seemed to be making horror movies more violent, bloody and geared toward an ever-narrowing demographic. Also, I wanted to poke fun at the clichés of the genre — something Fred did ingeniously in Night of the Creeps — but not make a parody. I wanted it to work both for the scares and laughs.

Jason Bene: The best horror films are the ones that mix it up and give a wide variety of creatures (no CG garbage!). When we see them in House you are totally caught off guard because they jump out when you least suspect them. I really enjoy those jack-in-the-box boo scares!

Ethan Wiley: That’s pretty much the idea behind the movie. Mixing up the scares and laughs. We wanted to make a movie where something that jumped out of a closet was either funny or scary and keep the audience guessing as to which it would be. Also part of the fun of the premise is that you can go in just about any direction because the house is feeding off this horror novelist’s vivid imagination. The multi-talented Kirk Thatcher, who played the punk rocker on the bus in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and later went on to direct various Muppet movies, etc., did the original design for Big Ben. The special effects and other designs were done by the talented James Cummings on a very low budget. Chris Walas and I had been really impressed with his design work on Strange Invaders. Chris also hired him to work on Enemy Mine. It was strange because James had just reconnected with me — on Facebook, of course — and we were trading some old war stories about House. And then a few weeks later he tragically passed away from heart complications.

Jason Bene: Director Steve Miner was fresh off of Friday the 13th Part 2 and Friday the 13th Part 3 3-D. How did he do in translating what you put down on paper?

Ethan Wiley: Steve was a dream to work with. He let me attend the rehearsals and I was on the set for most days of the shoot. I had come out of acting and doing comedy improvisation in college, so I was very sensitive about the line readings. Steve was dealing with the SFX, action, drama, comedy– he had a lot on his plate. So occasionally I’d notice a beat that was being missed and I would whisper a suggestion in Steve’s ear — away from the actors of course — and then as he continued blocking or directing the scene, he’d make the adjustment. Needless to say I was totally spoiled on that movie! But it was so great that he didn’t have any insecurity or ego about it. You hear these stories about the last person a director wants on the set is the meddling, delusional writer. But I was very respectful of his generosity and made sure to never overstep my bounds. Because of my effects background, I was also involved in helping put together the SFX team and designs, etc., so I had a lot more input than a typical screenwriter on a typical movie. It was a true collaboration and Steve’s focus was always about making the film better. So he was awesome, what can I say? I’m just remembering one scene that was cut from the film: at one point, Roger desperately calls the VA hospital to get some counseling from his psychiatrist. Then it cuts to a guy polishing the floors after hours. He answers the phone and ends up giving Roger some bizarre but helpful advice. He hangs up the phone and continues polishing the floor. The actor playing the janitor? Damon Wayans. He was hilarious, but it really interrupted the flow of the movie and so the scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

Jason Bene: Do you believe producer Sean Cunningham set out to make a franchise with House? The series didn’t make it as far as the Friday the 13th flicks did, but it did manage to churn out three popular sequels.

Ethan Wiley: No, the success of the movie caught everybody by surprise. Sean was convinced it was going to be a disaster and that the blend of humor and horror would just confuse everybody. But after the first test screening he came up to Steve and myself, grinning from ear-to-ear, and said, “Boy, was I wrong!” And then after the movie did so well, we actually rushed very quickly into making the sequel. I only had a few weeks to write the first draft before we were in production. And it shows, but we’ll talk about House II another time.

Jason Bene: William Katt and George Wendt are very well written as neighbors, but Richard Moll steals the show as the zombie “Big Ben”. All three of these gentlemen are more television actors than movie stars – which I enjoy, because they are more everyman thespians that the audience can get behind.

Ethan Wiley: Well, we couldn’t afford real film actors. But truthfully we needed actors with dramatic chops but who also had great comic timing– and so we looked to these very talented TV actors to make that happen. The old cliché is true — it’s easier to get a good dramatic performance from a comedy actor than the other way around. So it didn’t surprise us that those guys could make the drama work and make you care about their characters. People always ask if it was intentional to have an actor from Cheers in each House movie, but it was a total coincidence that Bill Ratzenberger was in House II. He was just the right guy for the role. But after we cast John, we used to joke, “House 3 - starring Rhea Perlman!”

Jason Bene: I also spotted Steven Williams, better known as “Creighton Duke” from Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, as a police officer. I think this was pre-21 Jump Street.

Ethan Wiley: Yes! And the other officer, Alan Autry, went on to become the Mayor of Fresno! I guess that’s a better legacy than having a bunch of actors who suffered bizarre deaths after being in the movie.

Jason Bene: House was a relatively small budgeted movie that went on to do almost $20 million in box-office receipts. That really is an incredible accomplishment, one that New World Pictures and everyone on the production must have been excited about.

Ethan Wiley: It was the biggest hit they’d ever had. Although Steve soon eclipsed that with his next New World movie, Soul Man. We also opened #1 in the nation, barely beating out Pretty In Pink. That was back in the days when you could lead the US box office with a $7,000,000 opening weekend. I also got a quick dose in humility when I was meeting with a V.P. at one of the big studios that same week and she said, “So, what’s going on with you these days?” I said, “Well, I’m the writer of House.” She had never heard of it. I said, “It’s the number one film in the country right now.” She was totally unimpressed, “Oh really? I hadn’t noticed. Good for you.”

Here are the specifics. The festivities begin on Saturday, July 2 at 11:30PM at The New Beverly located at 7165 Beverly Blvd. in Los Angeles, California.

The New Beverly Cinema is one of Los Angeles’ longest running revival theaters. Since 1978, the New Beverly has screened the finest in classic, independent, cult and foreign films. Every paired program is a double feature and all feature films are presented in 35mm.

The Flicks:

RoboCop has always held a special place in my fanboy heart. I own quite a few copies of the flick in various formats, so it’s no surprise that I was totally stoked when I heard a box set containing all of the movies in the franchise was hitting blu-ray. The only complaint I have is that Fox hasn’t given fans of the franchise a chance to pick and choose the flicks they want. For instance, I already own RoboCop on blu-ray, and it would be nice to just be able to pick up RoboCop 2 and 3, but I don’t have that choice because they are only available in this set. I think that’s a crappy move, but I love the franchise so much I’m willing to over look this blunder.

Robocop is obviously the best movie in this set. It brought to life one of the most iconic genre characters to ever grace the silver screen; Officer Alex J. Murphy/RoboCop (Peter Weller). Murphy is a cop patrolling the streets of Detroit in a future where crime has overrun the once safe city. If fact, it has gotten so bad that no one is save on the streets, not even the police. This becomes very clear when a rogue gang rips Murphy apart, literally. After his brutal attack, mega-corporation OCP steps in and turns what’s left of him into RoboCop. After RoboCop hits the streets it doesn’t take him long to clean up the bad element, only his memories of his former life as Officer Murphy start to resurface. OCP is forced to send in a super robot, ED-209 to take RoboCop down.

I love this movie. Sure, it’s a little campy, but it’s also really dark and it is one of the most violent movies I’ve ever seen. The acting is fun, the music is memorable, and the effects are amazing, even by today’s standards. The gore and carnage are absolutely unforgettable. One of the best genre flicks ever made, period.

RoboCop 2 was inevitable. Based on the success of the first flick it was only a matter of time before a sequel was made. In this installment crime has once again consumed Detroit and a new drug called “Nuke” is driving the bad element to new heights. Because of this the good people at OCP create a new RoboCop to help the old model clean up the streets. This backfires when the new model, outfitted with a criminal’s brain, turns on its creators resulting in a battle of epic proportions between the two OCP created cyborgs.

While I don’t love RoboCop 2, I definitely enjoyed watching it. It contains enough action and violence to keep me smiling for its entire runtime.

RoboCop 3 is the red headed stepchild of the RoboCop family. Most fans of the franchise dismiss this installment, but thankfully I’m not one of those fans. OCP is still trying to pull one over on the people of Detroit, and RoboCop is there to save the day. This time RoboCop has to override his programing to save the people of Detroit and take down the man (OCP).

The first noticeable problem with this flick is that RoboCop isn’t Peter Weller. This time around actor Robert Burke dons the suit. At first it’s shocking, but after a while I was able to roll with the new actor. The second problem is the lack of violence. Don’t get me wrong, RoboCop kicks some ass, but gone are the gruesome kills, in favor of a PG-13 rating.

Fred Dekker is a solid director and this a solid b-movie that would have gone over great on late night cable TV, but it doesn’t go over as it was intended, making RoboCop 3 the weakest link in the trilogy, but still worth checking out.

If your a fan of this franchise, then this set would be a welcome addition to your collection. If your a casual fan, I’d recommend picking up RoboCop alone instead of this killer set.

The Blu-rays:

Audio/Visual

The audio on this set comes in loud and clear and sounded better than the DVD version of course, but not much different than the previously released blu-ray version of RoboCop. The video looks good, but isn’t the most fantastic transfer I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t look terrible, but it’s a standard issue blu-ray that won’t detract from the viewing experience, but isn’t spectacular either.

Special Features

Unfortunately the only extras on this set are trailers.

RoboCop: Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
RoboCop 2: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
RoboCop 3: Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Blu-ray: Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

The Monster Squad revolves around Dracula’s plans to rule the world, seeking the help of other legendary monsters in order to do so. However, a bunch of kids regarded by their peers as losers uncover the devious plan and prepare for a counter strike. The picture was helmed by Fred Dekker with the script written by himself and Shane Black.

10 – Santa with Muscles (1996): Santa is played by Hulk Hogan.

The character of Blake (Hogan) suffers from amnesia and believes he is the real Santa. In the spirit of Christmas, Blake…err, Santa beats up some bad guys in order to save an Orphanage. Okay, it might be on IMBD’s worst films of all-time, yet the Hulkster as Santa is a silly idea, yet a funny one, and we get to see a very young Mila Kunis. Santa has never been this tough.

9 – Ernest Saves Christmas (1988): Santa is played by Douglas Seale.

Oh, Ernest! Santa visits Orlando to find a new Santa, since he is aging at 151 years old, only to be rejected by his chosen replacement, and even loses his sack of toys for all the children! Displaying all of the qualities of Santa, he’s a bit senile, sadly. Luckily, good old Ernest saves the day and delivers all of the toys on Christmas Eve night, as a temporary Santa. Two Santa’s for the price of one, KnowWhatIMean? Works for me, and both have what we like in our Santa.

8 – The Santa Clause (1994): Santa is played by Tim Allen.

Okay, Tim Allen might be in the penalty box for being in too many Santa/Christmas movies, but this cute movie is a fun twist on the lore. Scott Calvin (Allen) is a bitter divorced father, who yells at the so-called trespasser on his roof. The sudden noise scares the man, making him slip and fall, killing Santa Claus. Scott is issued a clause against his will, but by the end, he fulfills the agreement as the one, true Santa much to the delight of his son. Silly sequels aside, this is a what Santa is all about.

7 – Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Santa is voiced by Edward Ivory.

While Jack Skellington takes over as Santa, in costume and in practice, he mucks it all up. The real Santa must not only restore the wrongdoings of Jack’s misinterpretation of Christmas, but has to kick Oogie Boogie’s butt! Now, that’s a Santa!

6 – Tales from the Crypt; Season 1, Episode 2 – All Through the House (1989): Santa is played by Larry Drake.

Fred Dekker (Monster Squad) writes one of the more memorable and simple, yet effective episodes from this classic HBO series. Is there anyone more scarier than Larry Drake? How about Drake with some ugly teeth and dressed as a killer Santa? He plays a silent, deranged escaped mental patient who stalks a greedy woman on Christmas Eve. Just when she thinks she’s defeated him, her son calls up to her holding his hand. Santa has an axe behind his back. As the Crypt Keeper says, “Oh, don’t worry about little Carrie. This particular Santa preferred older women… in pieces, that is.” One of the cooler killer Santa’s out there.

5 – Bad Santa (2003): Santa is played by Billy Bob Thornton.

Perhaps the most blackest comedy about Santa ever, Willie (Thornton) is the anti-Santa. A bitter mall Santa by day, and a thief at night, who doesn’t love his attitude about the holidays. But in the end, even Willie’s black heart comes to the spirit of Christmas, albeit in the clever manner.

4 – A Christmas Story (1983): Santa is played by Jeff Gillen.

The iconic Christmas film has one of the definitive mall Santa’s ever in film. Gillen’s Santa is a bitter slave to the dollar, quickly letting the crying kids go. His voice should send chills down any kids spine. But poor Ralphie must go to Santa, because he is the only person on Earth to get him a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas, and what does Santa say? “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.” Of course, besides being crushed, poor Ralphie is pushed by Santa’s boot down that enormous slide with the meanest sounding “Ho! Ho! Ho!” ever. Mall Santa’s have never been the same for any Midwestern kid.

3 – How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966): Grinch is voiced by Boris Karloff.

While the Grinch is a symbol of bitterness, how can we not have him on the list? The spirit of Christmas cannot be stopped, something the Grinch, dressed up as Santa realizes. But he’s convincing, even to little Cindy Lou Who. Might not be the Santa is the traditional sense, as the film is more about the meaning of Christmas,  the Grinch in the home-made Santa outfit is a classic image.

2 – Christmas Evil (1980): Santa is played by Brandon Maggart.

Harry loves Christmas. So much so, he has books on Good and Bad Boys and Girls. When his toy company might not have enough toys for some kids in a hospital, so he decides to make the Christmas spirit a reality. While he delivers toys to all of the good boys and girls, he punishes the bad-violently. A horror film that has more understanding of Christmas than most Christmas movies, as the original title suggests, You Better Watch Out!

1 – Miracle on 34th Street (1947): Santa is played by Edmund Gwenn.

Is there any Santa more classic and iconic than Kris Kringle in this film? He’s a warm soul, played beautifully by Edmund Gwenn, and even when nobody believes in him, he still smiles, because a little girl (Natalie Wood) sees that he’s the real Santa. A great film for the holidays that features one of film’s best Santa Clauses.

Missing a Santa you liked? Feel free to comment below!

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