Jim Wynorski

Every Time You Hear A Bell, A Zombie Takes Us All To Hell

The Mondo Film & Video Guide Interview with Jim Wynorski

Conducted By: Mondo Justin
Mondo Film & Video Guide Editor

Jim Wynorski has always seemed to be a God among film mortals. It’s been his body of work that’s directly responsible for many a cinephile’s love of film.  Without films like CHOPPING MALL, THE LOST EMPIRE, the first remake of NOT OF THIS EARTH, DINOSAUR ISLAND and RETURN OF SWAMP THING many would be out wandering in a Michael Bay confusion.  What makes Wynorski’s work so poignant is just how — off the wall, weird, exploitative and original his output has been over the last thirty years.  And let’s not forget, just how completely fun and entertaining his films truly are.  To experience a Wynorski film is to experience the man himself.  There aren’t any hidden meanings or deep theme’s in his work.  He likes guns, monsters, hot chicks with big tits, magic, ninjas and guys in gorilla suits.  Just check out THE LOST EMPIRE.

Wynorski discovered Jennifer Love Hewitt, and brought Traci Lords into the mainstream from late 80′s porn.  He’s worked with Angie Dickinson, Julie Strain, Heather Locklear, and the exceptional, Maria Ford.

Jim Wynorski got his first big break after he moved to Los Angeles in 1980 from Long Island, NY where he owned a successful television commercial production company.  He was hired by cinematic ground-breaker, Roger Corman and started cutting together trailers for upcoming Corman produced features.  Wynorski would  eventually move up in Corman’s company as he developed the story for the recently on DVD Roger Corman produced Erin Moran in space, FORBIDDEN WORLD (1982).

Wynorski would direct his first feature, THE LOST EMPIRE in 1983. It’s a all out B-movie everything-in-one-place epic, a must see, that needs to be experienced many times before any film fan dies.   Sadly it’s not on DVD in the USA. In recent years, Jim’s directed a variety of genre films including softie straight to Cinemax money-makers like, THE BARE WENCH PROJECT and CLEAVAGEFIELD, as well as larger audience reaching films like the Scy Fy channel’s  DINOCROC VS. SUPERGATOR and BONEATER.

Additionally, during the course of his prolific career, Jim’s been involved in some of the strangest ‘better than the original’ sequels of films like BIG BAD MAMA 2, GHOULIES 4, and 976-EVIL 2.  Having completed over seventy-five films in the last thirty years, Wynorski is finally getting the notice he deserves. With the 2009 produced documentary, POPATOPOLIS (directed by Clay Westervelt) chronicling the passionate making of his financially successful bare-naked WITCHES OF BREASTWICK, to his popular B movie tenure in Franklin, Indiana each year at the B Movie Celebration Film Festival.  What the hell is there NOT to love about Mr. Jim Wynorski?

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 If you’ve seen POPATOPLIS, then you know exactly how amazing Jim Wynorski and his system are.   And if you haven’t?  Stop reading now, and log onto amazon.com or popatopolis.com and purchase a copy of the documentary – right now.   It’s the best documentary of 2010.  

Chatting with Wynorski is a dream.  He’s humble, friendly, to the point. He doesn’t hold back at all.  I caught up with Wynorski at the 2010 B Movie Celebration in Franklin, Indiana as he was visiting this year’s festival with his new film, MONSTER CRUISE.

MONDO: Why did you choose Franklin, Indiana to film and premiere your new movie, MONSTER CRUISE?

The film chose me!  Four years ago, I came to the first B Movie Celebration.  The founder, Bill Dever and I got along really well.  And once I saw how beautiful Franklin was, I started thinking to myself, this is really just like my own home town. and I started thinking how I’d really love to make a movie here.  So that’s how it began.

MONDO: Will MONSTER CRUISEsee a DVD release in the future?

Well, you never can tell.  But I would assume so.  99% percent of my other films have seen DVD release or cable, so I have no reason to believe that it won’t.

MONDO: All your films are growing in popularity.  Do you think the younger generation, kids that grew up in the 80′s are starting to see how important, fun and original your work is?

Well, I don’t know about.  I think this generation was exposed to my earlier films through cable. Films I made 12 years ago are still on cable. I mean, none of my earlier films are really dated.  I didn’t do a lot of work with dated cars in them.  I did some.  But if you see a movie and you think it’s current, it’s current.  So maybe that’s why people are still enjoying my movies.  Certainly, CHOPPING MALL is dated.   BIG BAD MAMA 2 is a period piece.  DEATHSTALKER 2 is a anachronistic comedy of sorts.  RETURN OF SWAMP THING takes place in a swamp, and you could watch that any time.

MONDO: You grew up on Long Island N.Y.  As a teen did you ever trek into Times Square and check out the Grindhouses of the 60′s and 70′s?

Oh yeah!  When I was like fifteen or sixteen, I would take a train into the city, and head straight to Times Square 42nd street and start watching movies.  And when I was in college I was skipping class to go there.   I was able to see a ton of films. It was the only place you could see some of those exotic films.

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MONDO: Do you have any stand-outs that you saw during that period of your life?

I saw a ton of spaghetti western films that never played elsewhere.  A lot of Hammer stuff.  The Ilsa movies.   A ton of great stuff.

MONDO: Before you moved out to Los Angeles, you owned a television commercial production company.  I was wondering if you could talk some about that aspect of your history?

I was making commercials for local business retailers.  But I wasn’t getting any creative satisfaction out of that, but it was really successful.  So I decided to take a big chance and try my luck out in Hollywood, and it worked out for me.

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MONDO: I heard a rumor that you’re actually working on behalf of Roger Corman with Shout Factory directly in getting these Corman 80′s titles released and re-released onto DVD?

No, that’s not true.  I mean, I’m working with them on my titles directly, but not on behalf of others.

MONDO: Will we ever see Dinosaur Island on DVD?

I can’t say anything for sure.  I’m not on the board at Shout Factory.  They come to me, and tell me exactly what title they wanna put out, and I say, OK.  Then it’s up to me to try to give them stuff that can make the best release possible.

MONDO: What about a U.S DVD release of your first film, THE LOST EMPIRE?

You know I’ve tried to get THE LOST EMPIRE on DVD for many years.  The company that owns it is afraid of it.  They’re scared to sell the rights.  So I think it’s just gonna set there for many years to come. It’s sad, and I can’t do anything about it.

MONDO: Did you know that THE LOST EMPIRE sells on Ebay and Amazon for over forty dollars a copy?

Yeah, that’s the only way to see the film, and it’s a crappy version.  The film was shot in wide screen, and the VHS is in pan and scan.

MONDO: Shout Factory is re-releasing your Traci Lords version of NOT OF THIS EARTH on Oct. 5th.  Didn’t you just record a new commentary track for the release with Traci Lords?

Yep, about a month ago we did it.  The new DVD is gonna have the new commentary and my old one as well from the first DVD release.

MONDO: Was getting back together for the commentary with Traci the first time you’d seen her since you shot the film back in ’88?

Nope, I’d seen her and we’d talked a few times since then. She’s very nice and we get along well.  It was really nice to see her again. We spent a  Sunday afternoon doing the new commentary.  It was a lot of fun.

MONDO: Given what Traci Lords was going through at that time, was it difficult for you to get her involved in the film, and to have her do the nudity in the film?

Well, it wasn’t difficult to convince her, but to find her actually!   She’d gone underground, once the stories of her being under-age hit the press. The porno mafia was after her supposedly, cause she cost them a lot of money. But I did find her, and we asked her, and she said yes, and it started a whole new career for her.

MONDO: One of my favorite films that you’ve done is your remake of Roger Corman’s THE WASP WOMAN, how did that project come about?

Well, Corman’s company was remaking a bunch of his films for Showtime. So I asked Roger if I could re-make THE WASP WOMAN.   Roger said yes.  The original had an very interesting plot, but the film never followed through with the special effects. So I wanted to do it with some bigger crazier effects.

MONDO: Another of my favorites is your film, 976-EVIL 2, how did that come about?

I hate that film…laughing  It was a tough film to make.  I was handed the script, and I didn’t think it was very good.  The only aspect of that  script that I liked was this sequence where the girl is supposed to be sucked into a Pac-Man video game, and she gets eaten up by the things.  But I decided that aspect would just be to expensive.  So, one night I had this nightmare,  where I was trapped in the world of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.   I woke up in a sweat, and remembered it all, and I loved the idea.  At that time, both those films where in the public domain, so we built a recreation of the set of IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and we cast actors that looked similar to the actors in the Jimmy Stewart film.  So for me that’s the one stand out aspect of that film, cause it’s so weird. Everyone remembers it though.

MONDO: Boy, I love that film that much more, now that I know that sequence wasn’t initially scripted!

Yep, it was a replacement idea.

MONDO: How did you get involved in directing so many random movie sequels?

Well people would just come to me and ask!  And I always said “Yes!”  I wanted the money, and the experience. There where only a couple films that I turned down. I always wanted to make a sequel only if the previous film was bad.   There wasn’t much point to make a sequel if the previous release was really great.  I wanted to make a sequel that’s better than the first one.

MONDO: Of all the acting cameo’s you’ve done over the years, two of my favorite’s are your appearance in HARD TO DIE and when you’re running down the street in ATTACK OF THE 60ft CENTERFOLDS. Do you have a favorite?

Well, you know those things are just for fun.  I guess if I had to pick one, I’d say my favorite was when I played the hanging judge, in BODY CHEMISTRY 4.  I can’t stand doing those if it takes more than one hour.  Then I’m ready to go back to the real world.

MONDO: Looking back now, all these years later,  do you still feel the same about the Odette Springer film, SOME NUDITY REQUIRED?

Well, I still feel the same way. She mis-represented herself.  She made a film that tore everybody down.  Roger didn’t like her.  He put a lawsuit on her.   That’s why her film has never come out on DVD, and all the tapes were pulled.  I was not a happy camper with that film. If you watch it, she’s nuts.   I mean, c’mon accusing B movies of causing molestation. She’s crazy.

MONDO: Of all the actors and actresses you’ve worked with, do you have any favorites?

Certainly, I loved working with Traci Lords, HeatherLocklear, Angie Dickinson, I loved working with almost everyone, there was only a handful I didn’t like.

MONDO: OK, I gotta ask this Jim!  I’ll regret it if I don’t.  It’s personal. You can decline to answer if you want. But I’ve always wanted to know the answer to this question.  How many actresses have you slept with in the course of your career?

Well…I think I’ll take a pass on that question and not….long pause….A LOT…laughing

MONDO: Of all your films, do you have one or two that you’re most proud of, and why?

Well, I’m always looking at the next film, as the new baby.  Part of coming to Franklin this weekend again, was for the chance to premiere MONSTER CRUISE.  These people here made it.  Bill Dever the producer, pulled together everything, a huge production.  It was so much fun.  And the premiere was very satisfying.  A wonderful experience.

MONDO: What are you working on next?

I’m finishing up a new film, CAMEL SPIDERS.   I’m working on a Showtime series as well.  And Bill Dever and I will make another film together.

MONDO: So, how did you think POPATOPOLIS turned out?

At first I was worried about it. But it turned out to be a lot of fun. It’s certainly not my favorite thing to watch, cause I’m in it.   It could’ve turned out worse.

MONDO: I love it.  I think with it, you’re finally starting to get the notice and deserve you should’ve  been getting all along. Was it a good experience?

Well, I do what I do.  Clay Westervelt who made it, put a lot of heart into it, and I enjoyed it for what it was.  I don’t pull it off the shelf and watch it, cause it’s me.

MONDO: Does it portray you accurately?

Yes…He captured all my bad and good sides.  It’s right on the money.

MONDO: Were you surprised by anyone’s comments in the film?

No..not really.  Some people like it, some don’t.  I was afraid people would take it the wrong way, but I think most people get my style.  It’s about the making of a movie.  They show me making the movie.  And they don’t show the finished movie.   For what the WITCHES OF BREASTWICK is, it’s pretty enjoyable.  It made a lot of money.  It played Showtime, Cinemax,  and the Playboy Channel for two years straight.  That’s pretty good for a movie made in three days.

MONDO: One of my favorite aspects of POPATOPOLIS is the appearance of your mom.  Are you anywhere close to fulfilling your mom’s wishes for you of getting married?

Yeah..I don’t think so.  Why buy a cow when you can go to the store and get a carton of milk!

MONDO: Are you frustrated with the state of the B film industry?

Nope. No way. I am continuing to work.  B films are always changing.  As long as you’re continuing to work, you’re OK.

MONDO: With technology so easy these days, do you think it’s saturating the market?  Is is more difficult for films to get seen or noticed?

For sure.  You can’t buy talent though.  You can go out and buy a cheap camera. You can yell action and cut.   But if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s gonna look like crap, and it’s gonna get stuck on a hard drive in your garage.  Making the film, selling it, that’s the key!

MONDO: How hard is it to sell your movie these days?

More difficult to sell it than it was a few years ago, but it’s still possible.  A couple weeks ago, I had seven movies on cable at the same, they were all competing against each other.   These are movies I made ten years ago, and they’re still on cable, and across different networks, no less.

MONDO: Do you have a favorite movie of all time?

Easy.  The Thing From Another World. The black and white one.  And of course, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  Anything Sergio Leone.   If I was on a desert island, those are the ones I’d want!

MONDO: But Jim, what if there is no electricity on the island?

Well, I guess you’d just have to look at the covers!   Or if you had the print, I guess you could hold it up to the sunlight.  It wouldn’t matter, I have most of the scenes from those pictures memorized.