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Hi Greg, can you tell us a little bit about yourself so those who don't know who you are?
I’m a novelist and a filmmaker, and I’m a member of the Horror Writers Association. I’ve written for Hellnotes,
Red Scream, H.P.Lovecraft’s Magazine of Horror, Wicked Karnival, and Post Mortem.
What made you want to be a film maker?
When I was a kid, I knew I wanted to do something cool, like draw comic books or be a stop motion animator.
I had different obsessions, like Hammer films, PLANET OF THE APES, and LOGAN’S RUN. When STAR WARS
came out, it was like a clarion call--I knew I wanted to be a director. I used to correspond with William F. Nolan,
the co-author of Logan’s Run, and he was very encouraging. In high school, I wrote screenplay adaptations of
the novels Logan’s World, Interview with a Vampire, and Vengerance Trail of Josey Wales.
What was your first full length feature film called, and can you fill us in what it is about?
Well, I worked as the Production Manager and as an actor on a spoof called I WAS A TEENAGE ZOMBIE, and
then I wrote and directed my own film, SLIME CITY.
The special effects on Slime City were awesome man, what did you use for the slime and ooze?
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The substance used for the slime was called methocellulose. They used it on GHOSTBUSTERS and STREET TRASH—but they also use it as book
binding glue—and as a thickening agent in fast food milkshakes!
How did you get Scott Coulter & Tom Lauten involved in Slime City, are they old friends of yours?
I worked at Troma for one day, during pre-production on CLASS OF NULKE ‘EM HIGH. It was a nightmare. A lot of the people behaved like brainwashed
cult members. Two PAs went out on runs, and never returned. The director interrogated me for an hour as soon as he learned I’d worked on TEENAGE
ZOMBIE, which was directed by his former Assistant Director. He thought I was there to spy on him! Anyway, the only positive thing to come out of
that experience was that I met Scott and Tom, and Ivy Rosovsky, the costume designer. All three of them made significant contributions to SLIME CITY.
Was there any problems with the effects, when shooting Slime City?
Scott and Tom knew what they were doing, but special effects are always problematic. The one mishap I remember right now was that when the time
came for the human brain to crawl, the methocellulose melted it! We had to stop shooting so Tom could freeze it and repair it. Robert Sabin did the
whole head cast and three-hour application deal.
How long did it take to shoot Slime City and Naked Fear?
We shot SLIME CITY in about 25 days, but 5 of those were for the ending alone, because the effects were so complicated, and I wasted valuable shooting
time on scenes I ended up cutting anyway. NAKED FEAR was shot on Hi 8 video. I think we did it in 12 days, but when the first edit came up short, I
shot a bunch of additional material—all of the stuff with Tommy Sweeney’s character outside the main apartment, which I think is some of the best
stuff. It totally changed the film, but it made it better. It’s hard to say how much time those scenes took; I’d take the camera and meet the actors at a
location, and we’d knock off a scene, but that’s all we’d shoot that day.
Did you have any problems while shooting Slime City or Naked Fear, if so what happened?
Sure film making is really all about logistics and problem solving. Let me focus on NAKED FEAR here. The first scene we shot was the one in which
Tommy’s character rescues Robert’s character from a burglar, played by Nelson Wakefield. I wanted the scene to be lit by a red lava lamp. MY DP didn’t
really know anything about lighting—we went with him because he had a nice Hi 8 camera, which was new for all of us at that time. The scene dragged
on, from 12 hrs. to 18. We all agreed to finish it, and take off the next day. On a ten day shoot, that’s 10% of the schedule! I watched the footage
when we’d finished the scene, conferred with Ed Walloga, my assistant director, and made a very difficult decision: we had to scrap everything we’d shot.
I knew this was the most important scene, and it needed to have impact. No one was happy. Tommy was living in Colorado, and could only be in Jersey
for filming for a limited time. He committed to finishing the project, and ended up losing his job, his apartment, and his girlfriend back home. But it was
worth it! That scene really worked after we re-shot it. I love the bloody crotch shot.
Actor Robert C. Sabin has starred in a number of your films, why is that?
You work with people you like, who have talent, and who you can rely on. Robert was the first friend I made when I moved to NYC, and he starred in my
first narrative student film. I wrote the characters he played in SLIME CITY, UNDYING LOVE, and NAKED FEAR expressly for him, and he stepped up to
the plate on each of them.
Also actor Mary Huner plays Lori and Nicole in Slime City, did you do this to save money or having to cast someone else?
It never had anything to do with money, because I never paid anyone to act in my films! I think I may have paid Robert $500 to star in SLIME CITY, but
he had to endure so much with those prosthetics, and with sticking his head through that fake floor for the ending, he deserved it. And I think I paid
Tommy $500 to extend his stay for NAKED FEAR, but that was small potatoes considering he lost everything else in his life for the film! Everyone else
worked for free, including the crew. I cast Mary as Lori, had trouble casting Nicole, and offered her the chance to play both good girl and bad girl. She
ended up contributing as much as Robert did, and I was so pleased that I cast her in UNDYING LOVE. She wasn’t available to do NAKED FEAR, but when
Peggy Crown, who took that role, couldn’t do some necessary dubbing, Mary dubbed the entire role. So Robert and Mary are both in all three of my films!
Is there any other actors you wish you could of work with in any of your films?
I would have liked it if Mary had been able to star in NAKED FEAR; it really was a reunion of sorts for a lot of the people from my first two movies. I’d like
to mention the work of Terry Spivey: he played Seaman the mugger in SLIME CITY, a buppie in UNDYING LOVE, and a confident attorney in NAKED FEAR
-- three very different roles. He’s a good actor, and now he heads a prestigious African American theatre company in Ohio. But I’ve killed him three
times! I’m in discussions with Gunner Hansen, Brinke Stevens, and Linnea Quigley about a possible project in the future.
Is there any actors you would hate to work with?
I enjoy working with actors, and I’ve had mostly positive experiences. Are there specific actors I wouldn’t like to work with? If they have professional
attitudes, I’ll work with them. But there’s no room for prima donnas on low budget films.
What films inspired you to make Slime City and Naked Fear?
SLIME CITY was inspired by the opening section of Peter Straub’s novel Floating Dragon, and the movies ROSEMARY’S BABY and THE EVIL DEAD.
Are you a big fan of Shock-O-Rama?
I’m a fan of all the people who work there, especially Paige Davis, with whom I worked closely on various SLIME CITY screenings and promotions. I’m a
fan of the fantastic job they did producing the SLIME DVD, and I admire the work of Brett Piper and Justin Wingenfeld, two of their in-house directors.
But I’m not at all a fan of cheesy, T & A scream queen movies. They have the talent and resources to do some really good movies, but they keep
churning out product like PLAYMATE OF THE APES and KINKY KONG. You have to do what you like, I guess! I saw Justin’s film SKIN CRAWL, which Brett
edited, at a screening almost a year ago. It’s a serious horror film that will be released next year, and Brett Piper did a brilliant job editing the film to have
a structure that would make Quentin Tarantino proud. I wish they’d take more chances like that, but they’re serving a specific niche better than anyone
else.
How much roughly was Slime City's budget for shooting?
We got it in the can and to a fine cut for $35,000, then raised another $15,000 for post production from a foreign sales rep who licensed the rights to
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, England, Spain, and Brazil.
Slime City was released in 1988 and Naked Fear was released in 1999, what happened in between those 11 Years?
Another whole film! My second film, also shot on 16m, was called UNDYING LOVE. It starred Tommy Sweeney and Julie Lynch, and featured Robert,
Mary, and Terry in supporting roles. It played as a midnight movie in NYC just like SLIME CITY, and received good reviews. Mike Raso and Jeffrey Raso
picked it up and released it on VHS for E.I. Independent Cinema, POP Cinema/Shock-O-Rama’s old name. They re-titled it NEW YORK VAMPIRE, a title I
hate, because they hated UNDYING LOVE. It’s my favorite film because it’s my best film: it’s thematically similar to SLIME CITY, but it’s a darker, more
serious film. It’s my best produced screenplay, and features my best direction. It was the first downbeat, downtown vampire movie, before HABIT,
NADJA, or THE ADDICTION. Shock-O-Rama has the rights to release it on DVD, and Tommy and I recorded a commentary track for it three years ago, but
they’re just sitting on it right now. They acquire a lot of films, and make their own, and there’s only so many titles they can release per year. Hopefully,
whenever they get around to it, they’ll go with the original title. Whenever they do, Tommy and I will have to do a whole new commentary.
Are you still interested in making films?
Sure, but it has to be a good film. I almost directed a movie called PRISON OF THE PSYCHOTIC DAMNED here in Buffalo, but the producer expected me to
keep working for him without a contract, so I bailed. I was just doing it as a lark, but the fact is, except in extremely rare situations, when the stars are
aligned, you cannot make anything worth watching in only nine days. I’ve been sitting on a screenplay for years called JOHNNY GRUESOME, which I’d
love to make, and I’m currently developing a project called DEADLY RITES, which I hope to direct in June.
Shock-O-Rama released Slime City & Naked Fear on the same DVD, which to me was a awesome package. But in the Extras you paid
respect to Peter Clark the producer of Slime City, what/who was Peter like in real life before be pass away?
Peter was my best friend in college, at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. We made several student films together, with me directing and him shooting; we
both lived in the dorm, and worked at the same movie theatres and video stores. We worked together on I WAS A TEENAGE ZOMBIE before SLIME CITY,
and we worked on PLUTONIUM BABY (the worst movie ever!) and Frank Henenlotter’s BRAIN DAMAGE. With Marc Makowski, we co-produced SLIME CITY,
which he shot. A lot of reviews comment on the look and feel of the film without crediting him, but that’s largely his work. He died in 2000, way too
young. We actually had a falling out during the post-production of SLIME—something that occurs on a lot of low budget films—but we got together the
night before I started shooting UNDYING LOVE and patched things up. John Rosnell, the talented DP who shot UNDYING LOVE, died in 2002. Right now,
I’m developing DEADLY RITES with a powerhouse DP named Matthias Saunders, and we’re both hoping for a long term, collaborative relationship.
Its been 18years since Slime City was made, do you still catch up with the cast who helped you create Slime City, if so can you give us a
update on what they do now?
Robert is one of my best friends, as are Tommy and Nelson. I stay in touch with Mary and Terry, because SLIME CITY was a real bonding experience—and
I never know when I’ll need someone to work for me free again! I’m glad to report that everyone is busy, healthy, and happy.
What was your first thought when you heard the music created by Robert Tamaro for Slime City, cause its a cool sound?
That score is one of the reasons SLIME CITY went over budget! I hoped to get a synthesizer score for $200, and Rob came in with horns and a
saxophone on his demo tape. He wanted $2,000 to go into a recording studio, and because I fell in love with that main theme, I couldn’t say no! There’s
an important lesson there: when a composer asks how much you’re willing to spend, give him a specific figure instead of saying “not much”! I got the
score for UNDYING LOVE for $200, and the one for NAKED FEAR for free. You just can’t spend $2,000 on a score for a low budget film! But the results
were worth it. Incidentally, a Milwaukee band called The Holy Mary Motor Club recorded a catchy tribute song to SLIME CITY, which you can listen to at
www.hmmcband.com. How cool is that?
Is there any other project films in the last 20 years you have worked on, and enjoyed doing?
Besides the ones listed above, I worked as Associate Producer and Assistant Director on two non-horror films: WEST NEW YORK, a crime drama starring a
bunch of The Sopranos, directed by Phil Gallo, who edited NAKED FEAR; and JUST THE 4 OF US, an indie sex comedy written by Robert that was never
released.
As a director/producer and writer, is there any film makers out there that grabs your attention in film making. If so who are hey & what are
there films?
My film making heroes are Jack Arnold, George Romero, and Dan Curtis. The film makers who interest me right now are a couple of up and comers I met
on the horror film festival circuit here in the United States: Justin Channel and Devi Snively. Justin wrote and directed his first feature, a vampire comedy
called HIGH STAKES, when he was 16 years old! He’s already contributed a segment to an anthology called FACES OF SHOCK, and he’s finished shooting
his second feature. I find that amazing! Devi did some short films called BIKINI VAMPIRE and CONFEDERATE ZOMBIE MASSACRE, and she just finished
shooting her first feature. She’s enjoyed a lot of success at festivals, and she teaches a course on horror films at Notre Dame, and she’s the only female
director I know who loves Herschell Gordon Lewis-style gore! These two have a lot of potential, and I’m looking forward to following their growth as film
makers.
Do you have any advice or tips for film makers, who are about to shot a movie?
Actually, I just submitted a proposal for a book on making ‘no budget’ horror films. If the publisher gives me the okay, I’ll have a lot of advice to offer.
But here’s some philosophy that I hope budding film makers will take to heart: know your limitations, but don’t limit your imagination; if you aim low, you’
ll never hit a Bull’s eye.
What are Greg Lambersons TOP 5 movies of all time?
Keep in mind that this list is always in flux: KING KONG (’33), GUNGA DIN, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, THE MALTESE FALCON, and PLANET OF THE APES (’
68). Yep, there’s not a horror film on that list. Now, if you want to know my Top 5 horror films, they would be: DR. JECKYLL & MR HYDE, starring
Frederic March; Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, DAWN OF THE DEAD, and MARTIN; and Tobe Hooper’s TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
If you have the funding and rights to remake anyones film in your own way, which film would it be?
I’m not a fan of remakes, I think it’s a shitty trend. But I’d like to remake I AM LEGEND before Hollywood screws it up with Will Smith. LAST MAN ON
EARTH was faithful to Richard Matheson’s novel but dull, and THE OMEGA MAN was cool but had little to do with the novel. I’d shoot the damned book.
Hell, I’d even try to find the screenplay Matheson wrote years ago.
What are you currently working on right now?
I’m novelizing JOHNNY GRUESOME and working on DEADLY RITES.
So you are also a novelist, what novels have you already written?
My first novel, Personal Demons, won the Anubis Award for Horror, judged by T.M. Wright, one of my favorite authors. It’s received the best reviews of
my career because it’s the best thing I’ve done! It’s about an ex-cop hunting a serial killer who steals the souls of his victims, and it deals with cloning
and terrorism, and features Cain and Abel. It’s horror with doses of science fiction, film noir, and hardboiled crime drama. It was published as a limited
edition, signed and numbered hardcover, and then as a trade paperback.
Are they horror based novels?
I like westerns and crime stories, but I’m really only interested in horror right now. “One of us, one of us, one of us!”
Can you tell us a little bit about them?
JOHNNY GRUESOME is an EC comics, revenge from the grave type of story, about a heavy metal teenager who’s murdered but won’t stay down. It’s
meant to be scary, very scary! I didn’t write the screenplay for DEADLY RITES, my friend Walt Jantzen did, but it’s a non-supernatural horror thriller in
the DELIVERANCE mold. It’s one of the best scripts I’ve ever read, and if I get it of the ground, I think it will be a turning point for me.
Have you won any awards?
Besides the ‘Book Nook Award’ in high school? Just the Anubis Award, as previously mentioned. Personal Demons made the preliminary ballot for the
Best First Novel Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, but my friend Lee Thomas kicked my ass!
Which do you prefer, film making or writing, and Why?
I like them equally, but for different reasons. When I wrote Personal Demons, I didn’t have a clock ticking in my face. On films, the clock is always
ticking. With a novel, I have complete control, and I play all the roles, and I get final cut. Movies are a collaborative medium, so I have to depend on an
army of people. But there’s a real rush to seeing a movie I’ve made with an audience. And a lot more people see movies than read books. If I screen
SLIME CITY at a convention, I’ll get 15 – 40 people in the audience; if I do a reading from my novel, 6 seems like a common attendance figure. I just got
back from Rue Morgue’s Festival of Fear in Toronto, where I bounced back and forth between the Shock-O-Rama table and the Horror Writers Association
booth. Shock-O-Rama sold all 20 copies of SLIME CITY that they bought, so they could have sold more. By comparison, I sold 11 copies of Personal
Demons, which was better than I usually do. As a storyteller, I want to reach the widest possible audience.
Will we see one of your books come to life on film, is so which book to you intend on making into a film?
An agent from William Morris loved Personal Demons, but said it would cost $100 million to make. JOHNNY GRUESOME would make a damned good low-
medium budget film.
What is the one thing you would like horror fans to think of, when they hear Greg Lamberson?
I wish more people knew about Personal Demons, but I’m fine with being known primarily for SLIME CITY. The response to the film at conventions has
been phenomenal and unexpected. I’d like to make a really great horror film some day, something like ROSEMARY’S BABY or THE EXORCIST or
CHAINSAW—a watershed film that will spawn dozens of imitators!
And the last question for this interview, is there anything you would like to say before we end this interview to those who are reading this
interview?
Just this: please visit my website, www.slimeguy.com
Thanks for taking the time to do this interview with us Greg, I really enjoyed your films "Slime City & Naked Fear", and If it wasn't for Shock-O-
Rama i would not of ever known about them! I truly hope we get to see more of your work in the near future and maybe seeing a Slime City 2.
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