Coming from the great state of Michigan is the multi-talented Brandon Krum. Brandon is recognized for his appearances on “TMZ Live,” as well as films such as, “Massacre Academy and “Stix.” Brandon has also stepped in as a producer in the UK production of “Nest of Vampires.” Brandon is collaborating with Horror Nation favorite Adam Marcus for the highly anticipated documentary: “Hearts of Darkness: The Making of the Final Friday.” Horror Nation sits down with Mr. Krum to discuss his iconic role in the upcoming Werewolf film: “Wolf Hollow.”
HN: What is your favorite Werewolf film?
BK: Starting with a hard question I see! I can’t decide between An American Werewolf In London or The Howling. Both came out in 1981. I enjoy ‘Londons’ story the most, but prefer ‘Howlings’ werewolf designs. I think one film shows what a Crazy Guy with a Big Budget can do, and the other shows how a Smart Guy can work with a Small Budget and still create a home run! This gives me hope that even though Wolf Hollow doesn’t have a giant budget, it still has a lot of bite, and can be enjoyed by horror fans for generations, just like the werewolf films that came before it!
HN: What is the hardest challenge of working on independent films? What is the biggest reward?
BK: I would say there are two main things that are most challenging when it comes to creating independent films. The first is raising awareness of the film and the second is raising funds to actually make the movie. Independent filmmakers don’t have millions of dollars to put into the production or promotional material, they can’t buy TV spots during the Super Bowl and so on. So, they rely on positive word of mouth coupled with the love and curiosity of the horror community to know it even exists. And the same goes for raising money to get the film to go from concept to screen. They can’t be made by one individual. It takes a group of inspired people, that believe in the story, to say here is my time, energy, money, and or voice, to come together and make movie magic happen! I’ve loved getting to work with some amazing actors as well! Like Lynn Lowery from such films as the original “Shivers” & “The Crazies”! She was a joy to collaborate with! And of course, none of this would have happened without the amazing vision of writer/director Mark Cantu! But I think we all spent a lot of quality time together on set and formed a tight bond! They were amazing, along with the rest of the cast and crew! And hopefully, soon the fans of the film will join the wolf pack too and it’ll become one giant family of horror lovers supporting the cause! And I think that’s the reward. It’s the community that’s built!
HN: The creature designs are fantastic in Wolf Hollow. What was it like being on set with those beasts?
BK: After having gotten up close and personal with the beasts on set, I can tell you they were quite intimidating to look at, especially while out in the middle of the woods as the sun was setting and the moon rising! As an actor, it was fantastic to have someone in an actual werewolf suit, as opposed to some CGI creature to interact with! I got to say the people over at MidnightStudiosFX created some absolutely amazing-looking creature designs! Once actor/producer Brian Ceponis got into costume, the beasts truly came to life! He brought a ferocity to the werewolves I think people will both appreciate and fear! Add his performance to the special makeup/gore effects from Caity Byers, Abby Filtrante, and the help of Lynn Thrace Stillwell, my adrenaline really started pumping! You do not want to run into these werewolves when going out for a late-night stroll, I’ll tell you that! You just might lose a limb!
HN: You play Lucky Steve in Wolf Hollow. Soon to be an iconic character. Lucky Steve blends comedy with horror.
What method do you use to switch back and forth between two emotional ranges?
BK: Thank you for the kind words about the character! I was born to play Lucky Steve, and I think I mean that literally seeing as I was ‘lucky’ enough to have the role written for me! As a method Actor, I try to use previous life experiences to bring a character to life. But Mark came up with such a fun character after working with me on Massacre Academy, that slipping into the role was a breeze. And he allowed me to do some genuinely fun improv while on set! Take the live stream sequence for example. We did a scripted take and then Mark said to run wild and so we did another shot where I hit similar beats, but also just made s#*t up that I thought would be funny and relevant, and I think that’s what was used in the Final Cut! So, I think the comedic aspects of the character were easy for me to portray thanks to growing up in a household that encouraged humor, and a lifetime of watching horror comedies like the Evil Dead series, Young Frankenstein, and Beetlejuice! If Ash Williams has the chin, Lucky Steve has the beard!
I would say switching to the horror/drama scenes took the most time to get into the right headspace for. Again, “luckily” I had actors like Christina Krakowski and Jess Uhler stuck with me in that hot RV, giving their own powerful performances, so I could just use that energy to allow myself to “feel” what was going on in the scene. Also looking down and seeing one’s arm is missing can truly make you feel the terror! But whether it was comedy or horror, I tried to play it as if it was actually happening and I hope audiences connect with the character more because of that realism I tried to bring!
HN: What iconic horror character would you like to portray & or go up against?
BK: I think the easy choice for me would be Jason Voorhees! I’m a huge Friday the 13th fan, and I’m grateful to have been able to work on the official Jason Goes to Hell documentary “Hearts of Darkness: The Making of the Final Friday” with the director Adam Marcus! And seeing as I’m 6’3” tall I think I’m a pretty good height to be able to portray the machete-wielding killer! I recently got cast as “Luther Dremel” in another horror movie called Axe’s and O’s, who will be the Jason Voorhees-esque Axe Murderer of the film! So, I’m one step closer to playing Jason! And once they figure out the copyright issues over the Friday the 13th franchise feature films, I’m down to be Jason or one of his new victims! But you can support Axes and O’s on the IndieGoGo page which is live now!
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-2-feature-project-making-2-films-at-once?