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Today we are going to do an interview with founder of Steel Web Studios, the one and only David
Quitmeyer.
Hi Dave, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself so those who don't quiet know who you are?
According to the critics, I am "a filmmaker with balls". Really I'm just a quiet guy with an overactive and
extremely warped imagination. In fact, if you met me at a party - wait, if I were at a party, I would be that
quiet, dorky guy in the corner not talking to anybody. But when you're staring at me thinking, "Who the hell is
that loser", I'm staring back and imagining what it would feel like to crack your skull open with a crock pot and
smell the shit spill into your pants.
Where is your company Steel Web Studios based, and can you give a brief history its evolution?
We're currently based out of San Diego, California. I started Steel Web Studios in 2004 basically just to separate
all of my creative business ventures under one roof. I have a hybrid business model that's really complicated,
but basically it's a mix of web development graphic design and video production services. In addition to doing
freelance work we produce our own line of motion pictures, soundtracks and related merchandise.
What made you want to get involved in the film industry?
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I've been a horror movie fan ever since I was a little kid. It's just in my blood and I can't shake it. When I was in high school the writing bug really
hit me hard and then I kind of made up my mind that one day, before I died, I would make a horror movie based on one of my stories.
You are becoming very well known in the horror/porn scene with a film called Slaughter Disc. What made you want to create a horror porn
film?
I personally hate the term "horror porn". I'm not offended by the term, mainly because I've had to accept it, but seriously, do you pick up a copy of
Stephen King's IT and call it "Child Porn" - there's a rather vivid description of children fucking in a sewer tunnel as well as a number of other bits in
there. To me, Slaughter Disc is just a horror story, plain and simple. I made Slaughter Disc because I was sick and tired of this "unrated" shit the big
studios slap all over their DVDs in an effort to sell more titles. Ten more seconds of rubber guts hitting the ground and another shot of some tits just
doesn't equal "unrated" in my mind. I wanted to try and make a film that was as explicit sexually as it was violently. I personally see no difference to
human brains being splashed across a wall and a massive ejaculation being sprayed across a woman's face - it's all bodily fluids right?
Where did you find Caroline Pierce, the adult entertainment actress who plays Andromeda Strange in Slaughter Disc?
I held a casting call and she sent in her resume. Out of all the submissions hers just stood out. I wish it could be more entertaining, but it's a simple fact.
Are you a big fan of Caroline's adult films, if which films do you like?
I have honestly never watched any single one of her films completely. I've seen some clips here and there but I really don't watch a lot of porn in general.
I skimmed through The Fashionistas after I cast her in Slaughter Disc, but that's about it.
I notice you done just about everything such as writing the film, directing, casting, editing, cinematographer, wardrobe consultant, publicist,
SFX artist and playing a small cameo as Mike's boss. This must of put a hell of allot of pressure on you while shooting this film and where did
you get all the inspiration to do all that?
There's a forked answer to that question. When you're a small company with a limited budget you have to accept the fact that you will be taking on
multiple roles. On the other hand I don't mind doing the work. With my films I feel very personally connected to them so I put in a lot of detail on things
that most people don't notice - but when I get that email from somebody that does, it reassures me that it was all worth it.
Did you have any problems or set backs while shooting Slaughter Disc, If so what happened?
Fuck - I had a ton. I know the sound in the film sucks - but I also had my sound person back out the day before we started filming and actors were
already landing at the airport so I couldn't back out. I also had a makeup artist that was going to design a custom neck appliance for Caroline, rig up a
pump to spray blood out of her crotch and sculpt a final smashed head for the hammer scene - she backed out two weeks before filming started and took
my money with her. There's a little piece on the DVD called The Curse of Slaughter Disc that lists a few more of the setbacks we encountered with
production.
How long roughly did you take for you too shoot the film?
All of the scenes with Caroline were filmed in an intensive four-day period. Then we took about 8 more days filming most of the Scenes with Robert.
Are their any films that inspired you the most to create Slaughter Disc?
Slaughter Disc is based on an original story I wrote way, way back in high school called "The Tape". One of my teachers had spotted me carrying a copy of
Fangoria and gave me a lecture about how the contents of that magazine were no different than the contents of a porn mag. That really started the
wheels spinning in my head and a few days later I wrote the story behind The Tape. There were no movies that inspired me other that the few porno
flicks I had been privileged enough watch at a friend's house along with the slew of ads in the back of his stack of porn mags.
When I actually had the opportunity to make the story into a film I had to change a few things. The biggest change was that Ringu / The Ring had come
out in the 15 years since I wrote my original story and I knew - and it still happens - that ignorant people instantly compare my film to The Ring. I
decided to update the technology of the story, so The Tape became a DVD and the guy ended up ordering it from a website rather than an ad in the back
of a porno mag.
Before I started actually filming Slaughter Disc I did watch re-watch The Ring, House of 1000 Corpses, Blair Witch Project and Evil Dead to get some
inspiration for camera angles and editing styles.
It had to have been hard for you to keep a straight face when you had to film Robert Williams "Mike" jerking off?
You need to watch the blooper reel on the DVD because there are a couple of scenes on there when we were both just crack up. Most of the time I would
just start the camera and not look at him because I would start busting up the second I laid eyes on him. It was awkward and hilarious at the same
time. Just to set the record straight though, I was the stunt cock that sprayed the baby batter all over the TV.
I personally loved Slaughter Disc, and it has to be one of the most interesting and entertaining horror porno's I have ever laid my eyes on.
Though I have to admit, I was a little freaked out watching another guy jerk off. But when people hear words horror porn they tend to think
of blonde's with fake tits, and fake looking props, and a bullshit plot. But with Slaughter Disc this isn't the case, it is far more sick and
twisted. So where did you come up with the idea of a killer porno?
Thank you, and thank you! If I had a real budget I can promise you that the movie would have been even more sick and twisted. Again I have to stress
that Slaughter Disc is a horror film - it's just happens to be a horror film about a taboo part of our culture, the adult entertainment industry. The idea
behind The Tape / Slaughter Disc was about a porn addict that comes across this porn flick and every time he watches it the movie changes. At first it's
just a girl fingering herself, then the guy watches the tape at another time and the same girl is getting gang banged by a hockey team. The guy is hooked
and keeps watching it over and over and the next thing he knows she's killing people and fucking herself with pieces of their body - but he keeps
watching.
What type of feedback did you get from those who viewed your film for the first time?
I was amazed that there we so many people that liked it and it was actually getting good reviews from some of the places I idolized as a fellow horror fan.
To be honest I wasn't expecting it to ad up to anything, but now I have fans that out my name when I walk by them at horror conventions and people
are offering me actual film deals.
You have also created another horror film lately called Mail Order Bride, can you tell us a bit about it?
Mail Order Bride is my first short film. It's basically a story about a lonely nerd who keeps having bad luck with women so he decides to buy a new sex doll
that's come out of the market that is programmed by having it watch porn videos. There's some mysterious shift in the cosmic alignment and this guy
end up getting a literal Bride of Frankenstein delivered to his house. He tries to make the best of it, as awkward as it is at times, but eventually there are
a series of event which accidentally leads to the doll getting programmed with an all night horror movie marathon - commercials and all.
Mail Order Bride was a little softer and not at all hardcore compared to Slaughter Disc, but still you manage to bring a good amount of
entertainment and gory ending. Will we be seeing a full length porn version of Mail Order Bride in the near future?
Oh, there we go with the one-track porn crap again. Just because I made a few porn films doesn't mean everything I make will have porn in it. Sure, I
could have some dumb bitch fucking guys in a 20-dollar costume - but that's not what I do. If you want porn, go to a porn shop and beat off until you
cum in dry heaves. Nobody will ever tell me what to make or correct me for not making it - that's what being an independent is all about.
I have plans for a sequel to Mail Order Bride and one day I would eventually like to turn it into a full-length movie that has nothing to do with the short
films.
What are Caroline's thoughts on doing more "Mainstream" films than the films in the adult industry?
Maybe you should ask her? I know Caroline has done a lot of extra work on films and TV shows and she would love to have larger roles in the
mainstream stuff. The biggest problem Hollywood has is that they hate casting porn actors in their films because they fear the backlash of customers
and the loss of their almighty dollars. I can tell you that Mail Order Bride was the first film she could show her mother.
In both films you seam to use the same apartment when you film, who's apartment is it actually?
It was my friend Pete's apartment. He's a really cool friend and supports my creative habits - plus he doesn't complain too much when his shower glows
in the dark for a month and there are hundreds of packing peanuts shoved under his couch. There's a very loose connection between the two stories but
I never had the chance to film the kicker that would have given Slaughter Disc fans a chuckle. Basically the Delivery Guy shows up and says something
like "Boy, they sure rented this place out fast."
What special effect contents in your films do you use for your in the gore scenes, since most of the time Caroline is naked and masturbating
with blood and guts?
Most people don't know this, but since I have a medical background it actually come sin handy from time to time. If you put sugar in a vagina it causes
an almost instant yeast infection, so pouring quarts of kayro syrup up your lead actress's pussy is not a good way to make friends. For the more personal
scenes we use a mixture of food coloring and water-based lube.
OK here comes a real personal question, since we are talking about masturbation and your movies are about sex, death and gore. What is
the most sickest shit you have ever thought of, while you are getting your jerk on?
I've always wanted to shoot my load into somebody's c-section incision while the uterus was all pulled out. I guess it would kind of like frosting a donut
from the inside? I also have a thing for sexy dead chicks. I'm not saying I want to go out and fuck a corpse, although the thought of banging a really cute
corpse has crossed my mind - okay it has crossed my mind - but what I'm really trying to get at is I love hot dead chicks in a fantasy setting. For
example, I love the sliced up naked chick in 13 Ghosts and I would love get it on with the Baseball Girl in Land of the Dead while she was in full makeup.
I am always curious to know, how much film-makers spend on their movies. How much did it cost to make Slaughter Disc and Mail Order
Bride?
Slaughter Disc was a measly $10,000 and we spent about $3,500 on Mail Order Bride.
What are your viewers going to expect next from The Carnal Morgue?
It is my goal to create original films that explore a wide range of horror and macabre erotica. I'm going to make films that make me happy and challenge
me creatively. Not everything I do is going to be sexually explicit. As a matter of fact, my film Mr. Buttons is practically a horror film for school kids. Have I
become soft? No - I'm just up for the challenge. If you're dying to shoot your wad across your stomach watching one of my films, then my next project
Aliso Canyon should make my splatter porn fans very happy. There are also plans to get some investors and spin off Cinco de Mayo Massacre (the novelty
clips in Mail Order Bride) into a feature film that rivals Slaughter Disc in terms of sex and gore.
Tell us your top 5 movies you enjoy watching in the privacy of your own home?
That's a tough one. I like watching a lot of movies. I would have to say my favorite top five films are currently Hellraiser, Nekromantik, Return of the
Living Dead, Dogma and Young Frankenstein.
Are there any other film-makers that you look up too?
I admire Kevin Smith and John Carpenter the most. I think Rob Zombie has a lot of potential too.
What films of their's do you like and why?
I love Clerks and Halloween because they were the little Indie films that exploded into franchises. They are stunning examples of filmmakers using all of
their resources at hand in an effort to tell their story.
Which do you prefer the most Independent or Hollywood cinema, and why?
I'll watch anything that entertains me. There's good and bad no matter where you look. I'm more apt to go and see an Indie film or buy an Indie DVD
straight from the filmmakers than go see a Hollywood film at the theater, but at the same time I would sell my soul for a Hollywood deal - and most
every other Indie filmmaker would too.
As a filmmaker, are their any tips you can give to other film-makers who are reading this interview?
I get asked a ton of questions at conventions, so this is another tough one. First and foremost don't let any other asshole filmmaker (or wannabe
filmmaker for that matter) out there ever tell you what you should do. Ask a ton of questions, beg for free advice and eventually make up your own mind
based on all the different answers you get. Second, never let anything stand in your way. If you don't have money or the right camera, make a movie
anyway. Every time you make a film you will learn something and gain more experience.
Is there anything you like to say to the people reading this interview?
I honestly don't know how my fingerprints got on the band saw - oh fuck. Is there a lawyer in the house? Seriously, people are more than welcome to
send me their critiques and questions anytime whether it's through the DVD Resurrections Forum, MySpace or Steel Web Studios website. Thank
you for this opportunity and I would love to do it again sometime.
Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview with us Dave. I wish you great success in the future with your films and also your health. And
I can't wait to see what sick and twisted films you and Steel Web Studios are going to create in the near future, you have definitely have our
support at DVD Resurrections, cheers bro.
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