Feature Category: Interviews

Batman: Death in the Family is the latest animated feature from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC, and their first interactive short movie. In anticipation of its release, STARBURST had to pleasure of speaking with Vincent Martella, best known for his roles in Everybody Hates Chris and Phineas and Ferb, who returned as Jason Todd after first voicing him in Batman: Under the Red Hood alongside Jensen Ackles, ten years ago.

STARBURST: We wanted to start by asking, how did it feel to return to the role of Jason Todd after so many years?

Vincent Martella: You know, I was very surprised to get the call that I’d be able to play him again, given everything that happens in Under the Red Hood. I was really excited and, to be quite frank, I didn’t have the most work to do in Under the Red Hood. I had a couple of scenes. And so getting an opportunity to really flesh this character out and really explore who he is, I was super excited to get the chance to do that. It’s what every actor likes to do, to really dig deep into a character.

What else excited you about this film, and about its interactive format in particular?

Well, what was interesting was that when I was first approached about it, I didn’t know that it was interactive. Once they sent the scripts, they started telling me that there’d be different options and that they’d explain it all when I got to the studio. Brandon Vietti [writer-director] and Wes Gleason [casting director] really helped me understand it, and they laid out an actual diagram of what each choice means and where it sends the character, and what that means for Jason Todd’s life, whether it adds trauma or takes things away from him, or… It was a learning process, but I was even more excited to do it once I knew the entire scope of the project.

From an audience perspective, what would you say the interactive element adds to the story and people’s understanding of Jason Todd?

I’m not going to say what some of the choices are, but they are big choices. So just having the power and the ability to do that and think, “Okay, this is about to take Jason’s life in a completely new direction,” that is something unusual and new to DC animation. And some of these choices give you a lot more footage, while others can wrap things up more quickly. So, I encourage people to explore a lot of the different options that they give you because there’s a lot of story there.

And of course, Jason Todd’s death is an arc that has remained a really important one to the Batman canon. Why was it a good one to revisit?

I mean, it’s something that Brandon discussed. He felt so attached to this storyline and felt like there was more of the story to tell. And I think when you have a character like Jason Todd where the fans are so invested in them, it’s generally beneficial for them to learn more about them. It just seemed like the right time to dive back into this character.

As you well know, there was a vote in 1988 and fans decided to kill Jason Todd. Do you think people would make the same choice now?

What’s interesting is that, yeah, fans voted for Jason to die, but given so much time has gone by, and how much fans now know about Jason Todd and the Red Hood, I am curious to know what choices are going to be the most common? What pathways are going to excite them most? That’s what I’m really looking forward to, is the fan response to seeing all the different and interesting places they can take this character. And it’s more than just one or the other now, there are so many options.

If you were offered to return to the role once again, would come back? Or are you now satisfied that you’ve gotten all you can out of this role?

I certainly would if there was more story to tell. I mean, that’s something which is up to the great writers DC has. This character is really fun to play, and who doesn’t like being a part of the Batman universe? I mean that’s so exciting personally, and I’m a fan of DC so I would absolutely come back for some more Jason Todd action. We’ll just have to see whether the opportunity arises.

And lastly, what projects have you got coming up?

This is coming up, of course. Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candance Against the Universe just came out on Disney+ in August, and I hope everyone goes and watches that. And then I have a movie called Shallow Water coming out sometime next year, but who knows when movies are coming out!

DC SHOWCASE BATMAN: DEATH IN THE FAMILY is coming to Digital on October 13^th, followed by a Blu-ray release on October 26^th.

We catch up with an Australian filmmaker whose enlightening documentaries are making waves down under…

STARBURST: What made you become interested in making documentaries?

Nathan Hill: To be honest, the part I like the most about owning a DVD or a Blu-ray is the special features and featurettes you can explore. The ‘making of’ and the reality side to movies has always intrigued me. So I guess delving into the documentary realm felt like a good transition, or additional stream to what I normally create – that being the ‘moving image’.

How far did you go to research Sex Down Under?

With SDU we really went very far down the rabbit’s hole. What started out as a fun topic to explore, but it became an ever quite seedy one as we progressed, sometimes even scarily, in fact. It was the darker side of the industry and a subject that I hadn’t fully encountered, living right beneath the city. What some people do to play out their sexual fantasies is gobsmacking.

What was the most startling thing you found while making it?

The most startling would have to be our discoveries inside an S&M dungeon, where  people enact their vile and sadistic tendencies and actually pay top dollar for. I was horrified to find out that most of the customers were in fact members of the police, fire-fighters, judges, and politicians, to name but a few. It seems that people of the most distinguished careers and professions are in fact the ones with the most vulgar taste for the sexually absurd.

Were there any moments you thought you wouldn’t be able to show?

There was one spot where they started to show us an instrument where a man would insert his head into a cage-like device. He would then allow a paid mistress to either urinate or excrete her faeces into his mouth. I almost vomited when I saw it and learned what it was used for. I became very claustrophobic in that environment and was constantly looking over my shoulder. It was truly horrible. What the walls had witnessed inside that place are not for the timid or faint hearted, I can tell you.

Did you have an interest in UFOs before making Aliens Down Under?

I’ve always had an interest in UFOs since I was a kid, I don’t know anyone who isn’t or hasn’t been interested in the subject at one time or another! My favourite fictional movies on the subject would probably be Xtro and The Man Who Fell to Earth. It’s foolish to think we are the only ones on the planet, or the solar system for that matter. ADU was the perfect chance for me to throw my hat in the ring and explore the subject on my own terms. It’s something that’s always fascinated me.

Are you a believer after making it?

The scariest thing about making this documentary is that all of the people I interviewed have never met, yet they all claim to have seen a similar thing. In fact Rebecca’s encounters really made me sit up and believe. She’s a really nice, dare I say simple, unthreatening person, who looks you dead in the eye and tells her story like it was yesterday. I couldn’t fault her.

What was the strangest, most compelling story of the film?

I think the most compelling story of ADU is the one told by Aaron. I mean, the guy’s a friggin’ science teacher and a physicist and when he speaks to you, you know it’s the truth. He’s seen a UFO a couple of times and had people alongside him to even share in the testimonials. It creeped me out and gave me a funny sense of déjà vu when he spoke. Watch and listen to him if you’re a disbeliever!

Which set of interview subjects did you find to be the most open – the sex workers or alien witnesses?

Strangely, I thought that the ADU interviewees would be the most open about the subject, but not in this case. They were quite guarded, reserved, and one would say ‘mature’. Whereas the SDU interviewees were quite liberated, open, and verbally loud about the topic. Sex was just an everyday thing, whereas the alien spotting was special, rare, and intriguing to say the least.

Are there any plans for more documentaries in the ‘Down Under’ banner?

I’m loving the Down Under films at the moment. In fact, we have a new one on the slate titled Bigfoot Down Under. This time, we delve deep into the Blue Mountains to try and spot the ‘Yowie’, which is the Australian term for Bigfoot. It’s already proving to be quite fascinating, with the first ever spotting recorded as early as 1795. Intriguing subjects and a slate of ideas are forming and I look forward to what the future brings. My goal is to release a box set of the work in a Down Under series when it’s all said and done. How many we will make? I’m not sure yet of the number.

Would you be interested in making narrative films?

Absolutely. In fact, I’ve made a few. I have decent concepts on just about all genres and feature-length scripts just waiting to be made. I’m also an actor, writer, producer, casting director and director so there’s not much I haven’t done, or can do, when it comes to film in front and/or behind the camera. It’s my life blood. I live, breathe and dream about film in all its genres, mediums and forms. I’m very passionate and enthusiastic about creativity. It is, as they say, king.

Aliens Down Under and Sex Down Under are available on DVD.

With the release of I Spit on Your Grave in 4K UHD Blu-ray, which includes the original film and the documentary, Growing Up With I Spit on Your Grave, we revisit our chat with Terry Zarchi, the director of the doc, who happens to be the son of the original director, Meir Zarchi…

STARBURST: How old were you when your dad made I Spit on Your Grave – or Day of the Woman as it was then?

Terry Zarchi: I was nine years old at the time.

And you were in the film too, which is great.

Yes, I was minding my own business in Connecticut, visiting the set – of course being kept far away from any nudity, which was practically keeping away from the set period! And then I was approached to be in the movie. And I was very scared, I was a shy kid. I kept refusing and before I knew it, crew members were surrounding begging me to be in the film, and I finally agreed after I was offered my $10. I did not willingly put myself in this film, but that was the start of me growing up with I Spit on Your Grave.

When did you become aware of the movie’s content?

I was visiting my father’s office in Manhatten while he was editing the movie. I heard lots of shouting and yelling in the other room – they were editing the sounds of the movie, I was like ‘what in the world is he making here?’ When I was about 14 or 15, I finally saw the entire movie from beginning to end. And I have to say I was definitely shocked at what I saw.

We guess you’ve come to accept the movie now.

Of course, I had no choice! The reason why I wanted to make the documentary was because I really felt there was a bigger story to be told, to me this movie I Spit on Your Grave has become more than a movie, it’s become a discussion. And when a movie becomes a discussion, it becomes a little bigger than the screen, a little bigger than life. So I felt that it was important for me to share what I know, and my access to all the materials that my father has given me the privilege to put my hands on. And what you see in that documentary is 100% my story without Meir telling me how to edit anything in or out. That’s the beauty of it, he let me have free rein.

So growing up were you aware of the controversy over here in the UK?

I was aware of the controversy, yeah. I even remember when my father went out to a show out there. I remember him going out there because of the allegations of a teenager who had raped someone and blamed it on I Spit on Your Grave and other movies like it. So yes, I was very aware of that.

Did that cloud your judgement over the film at any point?

No, it’s a difficult film to judge, you know, even to this day and I think that’s what makes it so fascinating, it’s a horrible, terrible subject matter. And it’s a difficult movie to watch, and I don’t believe this is a movie to watch for entertainment purposes. When people ask me, do I recommend it, I say no I don’t recommend it! If you can handle it, see it. And you know, people see this film now because they hear about it so often. And I believe a lot of movies that were made 40/50 years ago that you look at it today feel very watered down – with this movie, there’s no watering down after all these decades, it’s still as horrifying and shocking as it was back then.

We would totally agree with you, it’s harrowing. It’s something that you don’t want to see, but it’s important to have that reaction to what’s going on.

Exactly. And I think a lot of people hear so many things about his film that they know how brutal it may be, but they want to test their reactions and they watch it. It’s a very interesting movie, but I never expected it to still have legs after all these years. And here we are.

Was there much of an outcry over in the States?

Of course, Siskel and Ebert tried to remove the movie from the theatres, and they were successful. They went in front of the theatres back in 1980, and they picketed telling the theatre owners and the audience members not to see this film. And with so much pressure, all the movie theatre owners pulled the film from the screen. And they thought they had victory over this movie, but a few months later the home video industry appeared and people heard about the controversy, and then it became top 10 on the charts all over the place because of that.

When did you get first get the idea to make the documentary?

It was shortly after the release of the remake and I saw that it was doing well, and then when there was a part two in the works, I said, ‘Okay, I have the ability to make this documentary because I’m a videographer by trade. I do event videography so my cameras were in my closet. It was like a simple thing where I’ll bring my camera to the people, and I’ll film them, and get myself a little story here. And it all started out where I thought I was going to just film Meir, and then Camille agreed to be in it, and then I got Eron Taber, who was Johnny in the film, and then I got Gunter Kleemann, who played Andy. So, before you knew it, I had a lot of talking heads. I found the production manager from the original film, so I knew I had a great story to tell, beyond what people thought they knew about this film, and I was excited to share that. So it was around 2012 we started thinking about doing this and it took me five years to make.

You were a producer on the sequel to the original; what was the shooting schedule like for Déjà Vu? It’s a long film!

Yes it is. We started filming in September of 2015. September 21st, and then we finished filming around, I think November 2nd. We shot for 29 days. And we had the luxury of doing as many takes and Meir taking the time that he needed. Meir was taking this time, he would gather all the actors every morning, or he would read the pages on the script to familiarise the actors and himself with everything. He wasn’t looking at the clock. I was!  Our line producer was! But Meir wasn’t, he was very calm and he knew what he wanted to do so, we gave him all the support that he needed, and we were so pleased that Camille Keaton and Meir Zarchi got back together to do this.

It was amazing to see Camille back.

Yeah, exactly. And for her to do such a physically demanding role at her age and looking so fantastic. There was a lot of running around in that movie, it was very physically demanding. And she pulled it through.

Absolutely. How did your father take to working in the digital format?

It was different, I really enjoyed the fact that we went out there and we shot it very naturally. 95-98% of the movie was shot in the daylight, we only really had one scene at night time, the cemetery scene, and we had one quick interior scene. Other than that, the whole entire film was shot outdoors with natural light. In the beginning, before we filmed, we found a look that we all agreed on. We wanted to be as naturalistic and as close as possible to look like the original even with the digital aspect. I’m pleased with the look of the film, I think we came through with that aspect.

What was the hardest part of filming the sequel?

The hardest part of the shoot was the day was when Jamie Bernadette playing the character of Christy Hill was sexually assaulted; that was a very rough few days. It was very, very hot. It was a very tough sequence because it’s not easy to shoot scenes of sexual assault, they’re really not easy at all. We really enjoyed all the gore scenes, like Herman getting the sickle in his back, and Kevin getting the bottle in between his legs – those scenes were where we were having a good time!

There’s a new group of antagonists led by the family of the original rapists. It’s interesting to have a woman – Becky, played by Maria Olsen – as the head of them.

Yeah, Becky is almost the carbon copy of Johnny from the original – she took over the cap. She took on his role she became the leader of her local pack, in the way Johnny was the leader of his pack. So yeah, you’re right about that.

It’s an interesting contrast, because we’re all led to believe women are not as nasty as men but she’s probably just as nasty if not more.

I appreciated the fact that the leader of the pack was a female, it brought a different spin on it.

There’s also the religious aspects of an eye for an eye, which means you’re never finished, because everybody’s going on forever…

Exactly, it’s a never-ending cycle of blood.

The I Spit on Your Grave 4KUHD Blu-ray featuring Terry Zarchi’s documentary Growing Up With I Spit on Your Grave is out now.

Ahead of the release of the I Spit on Your Grave 6-disc box set, which includes the original film, the reboot trilogy, the official sequel, Déjà Vu, as well as a new documentary, Growing Up With I Spit on Your Grave, we caught up with Jamie Bernadette, who stars the sequel.

STARBURST: Were you aware of the first film before you got the part?

Jamie Bernadette: Yes, I was. I had watched it maybe a year before I saw the casting notice for the sequel, so I was definitely aware of it. And when I saw the sequel, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I would love to do that’. I couldn’t believe they were making a sequel, I thought the 1978 original was phenomenal, very real and raw, it just feels like it’s really happening. It’s not glamorised at all. If people didn’t know better, I would think it was like a reality video. That’s how real it feels.

Were you aware of the controversy about the film?

Yes, I know the video was banned, I don’t think just in the UK, I think quite a few places if not everywhere at first. I think we’ve come a long way with women nowadays compared to the ‘70s, for sure. So I think seeing a powerful woman on screen wasn’t taken well. So it seems like that’s the part that some people were offended by, which is interesting. And nowadays that’s the part people love.

So what was your first reaction when you got the part in the sequel?

Oh, gosh, I cried. I’ll never forget it. I was going back and forth with Terry [Zarchi], the producer, for a few months – it was quite a long audition process. I had sent in a tape and then I had a first audition in person with the director Meir and Terry and then I had the five-hour third audition where I read with a bunch of other actors, and I wasn’t told I got the part until a couple months after that. It was shock, relief, and joy and a lot of emotion for sure – but I was thrilled.

What was the life like on the set? We spoke to Terry Zarchi [Meir’s son] and he said it was quite a long shoot.

Yeah, I think it was about a 30 to 31-day shoot, but it was fantastic. I had a great, great time. Everybody was awesome. I think we became like a family and the week of the rape was trying on people. Some even more so than myself. I know I had a couple people come in to me on set saying they had been raped or they know someone who had been raped and crying. So that was hard for some of the people on set, more so than myself. That week was tough emotionally for people. I think a lot of us know someone who’s been raped, unfortunately. But besides that, it was a great, great shoot.

What was what was Meir like as a director?

He was great, you know he’s a lot of fun and very encouraging. He knows what he wants. He definitely had a vision for this film for I think a long, long time. He definitely knew what he wanted, but he’s the kindest, sweetest soul. He’s now like my family, I’ve been over there for thanksgiving and we’ve become very close. Terry and I can get on the phone and talk for an hour easily, so yeah, they’re wonderful, wonderful people and they are very respectful and kind.

What was it like working with Camille? Did she give you any tips?

Yeah she did. She is great; you know when you just connect with someone right away? That’s what it was like for us the first day on set together. It was just like we had known each other forever. I consider her one of my best friends. We just talked on the phone the other day for what might have been like an hour and a half. She really is like a mom to me. But yeah, she talked about her experiences on the first film and she had a rough time as well during the rapes and the thing is when you do physical scenes with men, not just on Déjà Vu, but I’ve noticed in other films is that men are so strong are so physically strong. And sometimes they don’t realise like the strength that they’re imposing on you and they don’t even mean to hurt you or so she went through some of that like she was accidentally kicked and that stuff happens that’s part of it. That’s acting for you. You have to kind of expect that you might get hurt when you’re doing very physical scenes like that. I’ve been hurt quite a bit not just in this film.

The sequel twists things a little because there’s a female antagonist as well as the male antagonists; what was that like for you?

Oh, Maria and I get along great. We had worked together before but not in this capacity. We really got to know each other on this set. I liked bringing the female antagonist in, it was something different to the original and the 2010 the remake and the other two films that followed. I think Meir’s like that, he very much thinks outside of the box and does what he wants, and doesn’t worry about what people think. And I think that’s very important as an artist, just like the length of the film, it was like a lot of people was like, ‘This is too long’. But you know, he wanted the cut that he wanted, so it’s essentially a director’s cut. And he did what he wanted just like the first film.

What was your favourite kill in the film?

This is probably a spoiler, but when I come out of the grave and I attack the old lady with the shovel – that was just the best!

You get to do a variation of one of the kills in the first film, with the bottle. That must have been very satisfying…

Oh yeah, the bottle. Jonathan [Pearcy] was great, he had great reactions. That was a very exciting day. They didn’t show all of it in the film, but the running around and his screaming was fantastic.

There is a religious slant to this film, with the family trying to use an ‘eye for an eye’ to justify their actions. But there’s a message in the film that you shouldn’t bother because it’s never going to end.

Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s interesting to have that theme in the film, when people use their religion to justify their behaviour. I think Meir in his writing is really making a statement there. And I think there can be some truth to that, throughout our history and nowadays people like to use a religion to justify a horrendous act like that. I think religion is a beautiful thing, and faith in God, and I’m all about all religions. I think it enriches people’s lives and brings a society together in a way but it can be used in a very negative and twisted way. I don’t I don’t think violence is ever the answer.

The film’s getting its first release in the UK in this part of the box set, with all the films included. It’s interesting that Déjà Vu has passed through the BBFC uncut while the first film still missing a little bit of the footage. It’s like they still feel afraid of that first film.

Yeah right. I think with Déjà Vu, I had expected there to be more raping and stuff because of the first. I thought that Meir went easy on me to be honest! You know it’s bad, rape is always awful, but it wasn’t as horrible as the first film.

What’s next for you horror wise?

Well, I’m in the middle of a 1800s horror thriller Western called Homestead, we’ve shot part of it. We were shooting it in Northern California in March and then we were shut down from the Coronavirus. So we were all flown home and we’re starting that back up. It looks like October but with the virus, it’s like we never know, so I can’t wait to finish that. It’s a phenomenal script. The filmmakers are fantastic. I have some other films hopefully releasing soon, I have a post-apocalyptic horror film called State of Desolation. I’m the lead in that and I produced it. And then I have some others, Ash and Bone and Nicole, Her Ex, and the Killer – another horror.

The I Spit on Your Grave 6-disc box set featuring the UK debut of I Spit on Your Grave: Déjà Vu is released on Blu-ray and DVD on October 5th.

 

STARBURST talks with Irish writer/artist Matt Griffin to discover how he put together The Ayla Trilogy, as well as what it was like to design incredible artwork for huge sci-fi worlds such as Star Wars, Back to the Future and Dune!

STARBURST: How and when did you get into both illustration and writing?

Matt Griffin: I think like most people in my line of work, I drew obsessively from the moment I could hold a crayon. I was also always very much into stories – I read voraciously, I watched and re-watched films from a very young age – Ghostbusters 26 times in a row was my record! It tended to be the fantastical side of things, naturally for a kid – but I maintained that love of non-reality all my life, and still do. So my imagination was permanently off in other worlds.

I think I had a kind of natural thing for writing – not being the best writer, but I have always managed to be very descriptive in the way I do it, and I ‘got’ the rhythm of words. I guess I mean: I know how to put words in an order that sounds nice and describes well! And so I was always creating in that way – drawing characters, writing little stories. However, while writing a book was on a lengthy bucket list, I never thought it was something that would actually happen. That it did was a combination of luck, right-place-right-time, and grasping an opportunity when it presented itself.

It helped that my parents actively encouraged my creativity. My Dad is also a movie nut, my whole family like to read. There is a lot of creative blood in our veins! Music, art, acting – my brother Luke is an actor, film and books are all family pursuits. So illustration and writing are both something I’ve done my whole life.

The path to commercial art came much later – I was 29 when I took the plunge to become a freelance illustrator back in 2008. But I think it was inevitable long before that.

How did you get the idea for The Ayla Trilogy?

Well, writing a book, as I said, was way down on a long bucket list; not way down because I didn’t really want it as much as other stuff – more that I thought I had more chance of winning the lottery! But I have always kept notebooks full of ideas for books and films. That I got the chance was pure serendipity.

I was working for the Irish publisher O’Brien Press as a colourist on a graphic novel. The Art Director, Emma Byrne, asked me out of the blue if I had any stories of my own I’d like to pitch. I still don’t know how she knew I might be a writer. She explained that they would be interested to see if I had anything Irish-themed – being an Irish publisher – and she knew I liked Irish mythology, and also that I had a dark imagination! Maybe something for slightly older kids. So – did I have anything in those notebooks that ticked these boxes? I said I had the very thing.

That was a small fib. What I had was a scribbled sketch of an evil king made of tree roots, and a name: ‘The Red Root King’. But I went for a walk in the woods a day or two later and came up with the bones of a story. I wanted to start with my protagonist in mortal danger from the first sentence, and work back from that. And I wanted to fuse the modern world with the magic of ancient Ireland; to take present-day kids, and see what happened to their relationships and character when faced with the made-up fact that ancient Irish magic is actually very real and very dangerous.

I pitched the idea, they liked it and asked me to write two chapters (being completely unproven as a writer). Based on the feedback from those, they then asked me to write four more chapters. Once I had six done, they agreed to publish it and I set about writing the rest – it’s called A Cage of Roots. I ended it on a cliff-hanger, and so pitched a second, Storm Weaver, which was published a year later. I ended that one on a cliff-hanger too [laughs] so the following year the third, The Spiral Path, came out and the trilogy was complete.

It’s currently doing the rounds on the pitch circuit for a TV adaptation – written by the amazing Will Collins, Emmy-nominated writer of The Song of the Sea and the new film Wolfwalkers so there’s another reason: if it does get made, you can be one of those people who knows more than everyone else because you read the books.

How did you get involved with the deluxe edition of Dune, and what were some of your highlights from working on this classic sci-fi book?

That was a dream come true. A couple of years ago I was experimenting with textures – I make a lot with paper, ink etc. that I use in my art. One looked to me like a kind of desert storm, so I decided to make an image of Paul, which I then posted online. I didn’t expect the reaction it got – it was shared a lot. One of the people who saw it was Adam Auerbach, a Penguin Art Director who I had worked with before. He mailed me to say they were producing a new edition under their Ace Books label and asked if they could license that piece for the cover. I don’t normally leap up and punch the air, but I did that day.

But – my dream was to illustrate the book. So I had the wherewithal to ask if I could, and while it was never intended as a fully illustrated edition, he did say that I could illustrate the endpapers and the inside of the dust jacket. I got to work and a dream was fulfilled. The highlight has undoubtedly been the fan reaction.

You also got to work on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – A Crash of Fate; what was it like to work in such an iconic world?

Yes, another bucket list item! The setting for Galaxy’s Edge stories is a new one – Black Spire Outpost on Batuu – it was amazing to see how they created this rich new sandbox with deep story lines through graphic novels and novels and it was a real joy to play a tiny, minuscule part in that.

They provided me with a bunch of Black Spire concept art, and the plot of Zoraida Córdova’s book and from that I created some roughs – that tends to be how it works. They chose the one they thought most dramatic, and I got to work. Drawing a landscape from that kind of angle was quite new to me, so it was challenging but a lot of fun. And I got to draw a TIE-fighter, even though it’s tiny. I’d love to do more.

You worked with London Film and Comic Con to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Back to the Future with an exclusive print. How did this collaboration come about, and how did you approach doing artwork for one of the most famous sci-fi cars in history?

Yeah that was a great one. It started with Michael Wood and his licensing company Under the Floorboards. A good few years ago, he asked me if I’d like to make a Back to the Future poster as a limited edition screen print – and of course, I said yes. So I made a rough for him to send in to Universal for approval as that’s how these things work. But they liked it so much they decided they wanted to make it an official 30th Anniversary poster. We were on conference calls with them where they were saying things like ‘Steven loves it!’ and they were talking about Spielberg!

In the end, it was litho printed in a high edition size and given away at the London Film and Comic Con in return for a donation to The Michael J Fox Foundation. I was flown over and got to enjoy my first con experience. We were supposed to meet the cast too, but by Sunday afternoon it still hadn’t happened and I had to leave to catch my flight home. When I landed I turned on my phone to numerous voicemails – I had missed the meeting by about 15 minutes! But I did get a letter from Bob Gale saying how much he liked it, so that more than made up for it. It also caused a little stir here at home in that I had a government minister come to my studio to have his picture taken with me and the poster for the local paper! Crazy and a bit funny.

The license didn’t cover actor likenesses – but that suited me as I knew I wanted to make the DeLorean the centrepiece. And I thought a good moment to depict would be the car just before it disappears – it’s at 88mph and the ‘wormhole’ is just opening up in front of it. I thought it would make for something dynamic and exciting. I’m still fond of the poster, which is rare for old work. It’s incredibly sad news that Ron Cobb, the designer of the BTTF DeLorean has just died. He was a true legend.

You’ve worked on many other incredible projects. Which one do you think deserves a shout out right now, and why?

Yes I’ve definitely been very lucky! Another dream job recently ticked was working with The Folio Society. I worked on Arthur C Clarke’s incredible Rendezvous With Rama. Having a book with them has been a huge goal of mine so to do a sci-fi classic like that was more than I could hope for. They make such beautiful objects, and take such care over the production. It’s a real thrill to have done it.

At the moment things are evolving in what to me is a very exciting way. I’m starting to take baby steps into film and TV development – somewhere I really want to be. And the other new avenue I’m very excited about is in licensed prints. I had been in and around the fringes of that collectible scene with things like the Back to the Future poster, but in recent times have been helped to progress further by artist friends like Matt Ferguson and galleries like his own Vice Press and Bottleneck in New York.

So far, I’ve had three releases with Bottleneck that have thankfully gone down well. I have three more lined up including recently announced prints for Lynch’s Dune – I put a lot into that one as you can imagine – and Alien, and working on the next slate too. It’s very exciting. The other thing I am getting into is Crypto Art – blockchain-verified limited edition digital art. I’m very lucky to have a company called KnownOrigin partnering me in this endeavour, and we’re just plotting out the launch now – coming soon!

What else can we expect to see from you in 2020/2021?

I’ll be working on some more show development, including developing and pitching my own concepts. I’m hoping to break a little more into concept art and production design, although I’ll have to up my game! I work with a great guy called Ben Bow and his online store Uniquely Geekly to sell my artist copies of prints. We’ve just been discussing the possibility of selling little original drawings so expect more by way of art sales on that front.

I’ve started a new book that I am very excited about. It’s a big fantasy with a map and everything. The current title is High Wail Rook and it’s about a runaway on a fantasy continent, following every year of his life from 14 to 26 or so. I’m pretty pleased with it so far. Apart from that – more art! More of everything. I’m very excited.

You can find out more about Matt Griffin by heading to https://www.mattgriffin.online/ and following on the socials: https://www.facebook.com/mattgriffinillustration https://twitter.com/mattgriffinart http://www.instagram.com/mattgriffinillustrator

Claes Bang is a Danish actor and musician best know for playing the lead role of Christian in the Palme d’Or winning The Square (2017) and as the titular Count in the recent BBC/Netflix series Dracula. Claes took some time to talk with STARBURST about his latest film, The Bay of Silence, being a piano, playing a piano and, of course, being Count Dracula.

STARBURST: Your new film The Bay of Silence has a curious atmosphere, would you agree?

Claes Bang: Well, I hope it has an unsettling atmosphere where you’re not really sure what’s going on. That’s what I had when I first read it. And it’s important for us to establish it early on. The guy that I’m playing has a feeling that nothing is what it seems to be. I hope we’ve succeeded as that’s what drew me to it. When I read it, I thought ‘What the fuck is going on?’ My wife is totally bonkers, and she’s left and taken the kids. That is why I said yes to it.

Your character comes across rather innocent?

I tried to go for a ‘good-guy’, someone to count on. And then he has to deal with all these things and his moral compass is challenged. He ends up making some odd decisions, you know, like burying your child on a beach and so on. So, I wanted to try and embody that, but also thinking what ‘would you actually do in the situations he finds himself in?’. I like it when characters make strange and bold choices because if they always do what’s expected it can be quite boring. It’s interesting to change the dynamic.

That’s right. You never know where it’s going and even at the end, without spoilers, you’re still not sure it’s over.

Exactly. I like that. At the end it could be all be dreamt up or has he really gone through it.

You’re an executive producer on the film also. When did you get involved initially?

Caroline Goodall who wrote the script and produced it approached me in 2017, I think, but the thing about being an executive producer was Olga [Kurylenko] and I getting involved in developing it. I was intrigued from the start, just as puzzled and mystified as my character.

Do you see yourself behind the camera more?

Actually, no. I don’t see myself in a producing or directing role. I’ve never had that ambition. I find that I’m very happy and lucky to be doing what I’m doing in front of the camera.

We’ve heard you describe yourself as a piano.

Yeah, that’s my ideal. I want to be the best piano or whatever instrument they need so they can do anything they want with me. I don’t see myself as an interpreter of anything, rather something the music flows through. And the director decides how it goes. It might sound like a strange metaphor, but it makes sense to me. That’s my take on it.

Which is interesting because a lot of actors are keen to stamp their authority on a role and give their take, so with such an iconic role as Dracula, you didn’t have anything specific you wanted to add or otherwise?

With Dracula. I think the importance was in the story being told and that there was something new there. Actually, when my agent said they wanted to see me for the role I thought he was kidding. Does the world need another Dracula? There are millions out there. Then he said it was Mark [Gatiss] and Steven [Moffat] who had written it, so he got my attention. It’s great because they’ve added new things but still maintained the original’s feel. But I don’t see it as my Dracula at all. It’s our Dracula. It’s their writing that I’m embodying. I just try and fit in with what’s written. In casting me they found who they thought was right so it’s my job then to make sure their work flows through me. The one thing I did discuss with them was how funny it was, and if it was actually too funny. I think they found a balance though.

And could there be more? Dracula is fundamentally about resurrection.

I would love to do more, but that decision lies with the executives. There are so many people involved but I’ll just be waiting and hopefully one day they’ll phone me.

We wanted to ask you about your music because with everything you’ve said about being an instrument for the writers and director, your music seems entirely personal and wholly you.

Absolutely. It’s something different. When I’m an actor, I’m a performing artist but with the music I’m the one who it all comes from. That’s why I do it. After a day of being told where to be and what to do it’s lovely to come home, grab your guitar or sit at the piano, and fucking decide everything yourself. No-one tells me what chords to play. In that sense it’s an antidote. And the great thing is that with Dracula coming out around the world more people have found my music, which is very cool.

There are influences we can hear in there, and your name This Is Not America comes from a Bowie track, but are they particular artists you draw from?

I would say it’s more an era. I think you can hear that I’ve been listening far too much to New Order, Joy Division, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode… all that. When you’re in your teens there is music you connect to and that was synth-pop and I listen to so much British music. Bowie, Roxy Music and so on, all from the ‘80s. That’s my DNA. I sit down sometimes and desperately try and sound like 2020 but within 5 minutes I sound like 1981. And anything I listen to today such as The XX or Tame Impala all have similar influences. I know I sound like my parents but everything now all sounds the same!

The Bay of Silence is out now