An accomplished actor, writer, and director among many other aspects of the industry, filmmaker Adam Freeman has crafted a fine start to his career working on outside projects as well as his own films. Now, with the upcoming release of his remake of the shot-on-video classic Scream Dream, I talk with him about his interest in remaking it, the struggles with filming it, and plans for the release.
Me: Hello and thank you for taking the time to do this. First off, when did you get into horror in general? What films specifically got you into watching horror movies?
Adam Freeman: It was the early 90s, I remember my Dad watching the SyFy Channel there were always Horror movies playing and I grew up watching Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of the Dark, even though these were shows aimed at Kids parents still had problems with it! I remember when I was in Kindergarten I had a Goosebumps-themed birthday party! To this day my mom still tells me that she can’t believe parents didn’t say anything. I had already seen films from franchises like Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, even though these were essentials in the Horror genre it wasn’t until the first time I saw The Evil Dead! I was absolutely petrified yet glued to the screen! I remember I had to pause the movie several times and then I followed it with Dawn of the Dead (78) I had no idea what a zombie was and was terrified but it was the thrill that got me! From then on I would go to the video store, rent movies, and have sleepovers. That’s when I went on the Video Nasty-binge watching I Spit on Your Grave, Cannibal Holocaust, Buio Omega AKA Buried Alive, Cannibal Ferox, Don’t Go into the Woods, Faces of Death, etc! I was hooked and the media I got ahold of at my local video store was my foundation in the genre!
Me: When did you first discover a passion for filmmaking? Were you always interested in the creative arts growing up?
AF: Growing up I was extremely talented in art! I took private Art Classes from my uncle who was a very well-known artist in Tennessee! I wasn’t good I was great but I didn’t have a passion for it! Instead, I liked to create things that I could mold, physically pick up, and look at. I liked working with my hands. When I got older, my vision and artistic visions would turn into some of my most personal writings.
Me: Having worked on various aspects of film production, do you have any particular preference for working on any?
AF: I always enjoyed being an Actor! Some people know the story and it’s not an easy one to tell. In fact, we filmed the story in a segment of my first film Deadly Dealings but we cut it out, along with 35 minutes, which I don’t want to ever see the light of day because looking back it was too personal. I had gone to Haiti and Santo Domingo to do work. It was right after the earthquake in Haiti which was one of the biggest Natural Disasters in History! I was in earthquakes while I was there and no one was reporting them. I had to leave the States to escape someone very bad in my life. While I was there I saw unimaginable horrors! There were thousands of dead bodies, body parts, people starving and falling dead in front of me. I was a medical person there but that came with hard physical labor that I never knew my body was capable of. It is important to know these events in my life had a very real impact on going into my career as an actor.
One day we got to a church that had fallen in during the earthquake we were using Shovels to move the debris to clear the church floor and set up tents where people could receive help. It was a big job but when we were close to being done there was a group of 17 men who tried to abduct me into S Trafficking. I was so lucky that a woman who spoke the language overheard them plotting to do this to me by the time she had gotten to the soldier I was surrounded by these men who were making sexual passes at me and trying to take me away. The soldiers immediately got me out and took me to a Hospital that was set up by Mother Theresa where I was to sit with children as they passed away due to their injuries. While I was waiting on the bus which only held equipment, there were three rules that were never to be broken: never go anywhere alone, never have food in public, and don’t cry!
While I was on the bus a Haitian driver who was driving our bus ate a cracker. A riot started to form. The driver ran away and I was left on this bus by myself. Over 100 people with knives and Machetes attacked the bus and they were coming through the windows and trying to pry the door open. The ordeal lasted for 30 minutes with me running through the bus and pushing the people out of the windows. It was the scariest most horrifying moment of my entire life. We eventually went to a group of people that was basically homeless with nothing they were staying beside the ocean. We went through helping bandage people up and trying to help in any way we could. There I wandered off a little bit and I found a child who was about 4 to 6 years old. His organs had been crushed internally and he was lying on a piece of cardboard alone and his family was dead. I remember praying and trying to help him but I couldn’t and he passed away. It was at that moment I turned around a little girl who was having her hair brushed by her mother fell over dead. I broke one of the three rules that day and I cried! It wasn’t just crying it was as if my soul was absolutely crushed. I saw Voodoo up close and personal and to me, that was true horror!
I eventually came back to the United States and was on a rabbit hole that I wouldn’t go too far into it but I accidentally met my birth family. So I spent some time In the Caribbean with them and then back and forth from Tennessee to New Jersey to Kentucky! I knew I was still very much traumatized from what happened in Haiti. I had no way to release what I felt until one day while working in a coffee shop Dale Dickey who was a Hollywood Actress crossed paths with me. Her brother was a regular at the coffee shop and when she would visit I would talk to her about movies. She was also in my favorite TV series recently called CLAWS as a regular alongside Niecy Nash. She told me how to go into acting and what to do and how to get into Hollywood film. I did everything she told me but it was when I was on stage in front of 40 people my acting coach Joy Morris who was the ex-wife to Eric Morris who works with A-listers in Hollywood. She sat in an empty chair in front of me. “Imagine that the person who hurt you the most is sitting in this chair” and I did. “Tell them how you feel” and I did.
After coming back from Haiti I entered into a very bad relationship that had ended and I wound up losing everything. So I imagined this person in the chair and I started to talk to them with all 40 people watching me. I was crying, I was screaming, I was angry and I was sad. “Action” and so I went into my monologue. The audience was glued. By the end every person in the audience was crying, some people had to exit the building and a break was given for people to collect themselves. Joy, the coach, said you delivered an Oscar-worthy performance before having to take a break herself! In that moment all the pain that I had held in from these events in my life the audience was deeply affected. For the first time, I felt a release. People could actually feel what I felt! From that moment I wanted to be an actor. I don’t often get to use that method in independent films due to limited time but it’s where I needed to be.
Me: That brings us to your latest project, "Scream Dream." What can you tell us about the film?
AF: Scream Dream is a remake of a 1989 Shot-on-Video Cult Classic directed by Donald Farmer. The film is sought after by collectors. I’m tired of remakes that remake a good movie that this generation needs to see. Shot on Video is not everyone’s cup of tea but since I was a child, I loved Scream Dream. I was also Melissa Moore's biggest fan I saw all of her films and I also consider Sorority House Massacre 2 an essential film that horror fans need to see. I had worked with Donald Farmer on Cannibal Hookers, Bigfoot Exorcist, Debbie Does Demons. Shark Exorcist 2, and I was in the remake of Savage Vengeance which the original was made back-to-back with Scream Dream I believe in 1989. I wanted to remake it. It took a few years to get the Yes. I was given the opportunity very early on and wrote a script and sent it to Donald but he had changed his mind. A few years later I went back and asked him if I could buy the rights to the film outright and have complete Creative Control and he said yes!
The film is strikingly different from my previous film which landed several nominations and I walked away with Best Scream King. A lot of people think that the film will be Shot on Video. I will say it’s not. Imagine being in a club and the most amazing song you have ever heard comes on and you start to dance and deep in your gut, you feel it’s almost a religious experience. That is Scream Dream! Every scene of the film is lit with ambient-colored lighting. With heavy doses of pink. It's Erotic, it's sexy, it's wild, it's gorgeous and dreamy!
Imagine Jem and the Holograms meets horror soaked in so much glitter and a lot of blood. There are music videos that were shot that play during the band's performance. The wardrobe mixes metal and neon colors with glitter eye art. Tons of Fog FX and colored lights with some really talented music that was written for the film. I want to say the film is getting a worldwide release and there are also details that I can’t discuss that are very exciting about its release. However, I want to say that people complained about Deadly Dealings not having nudity or sex in the film so we all talked about it. We filled the movie with so much that people will be shocked. The film does have full frontal male and female nudity throughout. We all decided if one person's gonna do it, let’s all do it so we will see what happens with that. The film takes place in the 1980s and I can honestly say I think we nailed the era in a way that’s quite beautiful. Crimped hair, big hair, and big curly expensive wigs that look like they were right out of the 80s!
Me: Where did the inspiration for remaking the film come from? Were there any unique stories about its conception?
AF: The inspiration comes from Jem and the Holograms, I recently met Samantha Newark who voiced Jem at this event in Maryville TN, we got to sit and watch episodes with her and she pulled up a chair and sat with Steve McGill and me, we showed her Scream Dream and she was really excited about it. It was a surreal moment that the inspiration for the film you have worked so hard to make was sitting right there and admiring your team's work!
Sam Raimi is another big inspiration! The Evil Dead is one of my all-time favorite horror movies and we have a scene that is very Evil Dead-inspired. The original film also is an inspiration we wanted to remake the film but bring out elements that are similar to the Original.
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Me: Is there anything from your childhood that helped to flesh out the characterizations? Did you want to stick close to the original film initially or take it in a different direction?
AF: We added some new characters to the film that I think people will adore! Those characters are based similar to my best friends that I have missed very much since getting into this career. We stick very close to the original story but add so much more story and characters.
Me: How did moving from your first film "Deadly Dealings" to this version change your directorial skills?
AF: I learned a lot on Deadly Dealings we raised $3,700 for that film through the campaign and I raised the the remainder of the money by annihilating myself working several jobs. But being on set for that one was much different than Scream Dream. Deadly Dealings was easier even though it was a nightmare to get it done due to budget and working so much. With Scream Dream we were very limited with downtime! I felt slightly unorganized cause I was expecting it to be similar to my first film. Well it wasn’t, I wasn’t prepared for what was to come. This movie was a beast, and I mean a beast to make! But we had fun doing it. Once I saw the footage and I had taken Debbie and Koco to the airport I had the best cry of my life. It was a good cry, me and Debbie had reflected a bit and of course, it was emotional. But we did it and it took several months to actually get back physically, and emotionally back to normal cause we were worn out! I’m very proud of Deadly Dealings but I think think one surpassed it in every way, it went above and beyond my expectations, and my team I have to thank for that! Thank you, Steve McGill, Jason Crowe, and Roni Jonah. These people were my project managers and having a team this talented to help get the rest of the team, help budget, help location scout, get a wardrobe, food, etc was literally everything to me! I definitely learn so much with each project that I do. There’s always something to take away and learn from.
Me: With a cast of experienced and talented indie actors including but not limited to Erin Brown, Deborah Dutch, Jason Crowe, and many others, how did you settle on the cast getting involved in the film? What characteristics did you look for with each performer that they brought to the table that helped bring the production to light?
AF: Well I won’t just work with anyone. I don’t mean that in a bad way towards anyone. I look at people’s previous works, I look at what they are making, and I ask myself is this person someone I could see in my vision. I am very big on style, and first impression. When I cast I have a specific look that I go for and someone could be talented but if their not meet the vision and look for the character I have to pass. I have had some people send me auditions. Some were really amazing auditions and some just didn’t work for me.
However, I had worked with Roni Jonah and Steve on Deadly Dealings and they supported me so much! So it was absolutely no question to have them on the project. Roni has a unique style to her craft and she just naturally is likable on screen. In Deadly Dealings, I wanted to see Roni in a different way than I had ever seen her before on screen. I wanted a powerful and emotional performance something with deep meaning. To this day I find it hard to watch Deadly Dealings and I just don’t, not because I don’t like it, but because it was a very personal project about loss. Something I’ve had a lot of in my life. When I’m working with Roni as an actor I love doing scenes with her it’s fun, so she took the role of Tiffany the fun best friend, lover, and roommate to Jamie Summers (Erin Brown). Imagine Roni Jonah dressed in pure 80s clothes bopping out on a Walkman, making tons of coffee, and playing with makeup nonstop in the film she’s a makeup artist! I love her character!
With Steve McGill, he gives his all in no matter what he does. He learns his lines and gives a damn good performance. He constantly strives for the best. He also has fun with it and I’ve seen his acting range from emotional, and lovable, to downright scary! His performance in Deadly Dealings let me know right off the bat that I wanted him in a lead role for Scream Dream. I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Greg in the remake. I wanted someone who could have fun with the character, Greg after all is a rockstar and he’s enjoying the ride. I think Steve was perfect for Greg cause not only was he perfect at his performance but he really brought a lot to the role. He is always first to hear about the projects I have planned and he’s always putting in his ideas. He’s the one that helps me stay focused. His performance in Scream Dream is truly special, I’ve seen him grow as an actor and it comes naturally! Aside from acting he produced Scream Dream right beside me and really put in months and months into getting props and wardrobe for the film.
Roni had told me about Jason and I had seen a lot of Jason’s work! The man is one of the most professional people I’ve ever worked with in my life! He’s beyond talented! The man behind the camera is more talented than anyone could imagine! He really goes all out in pre-production. As far as acting Jason is very talented. I saw the film The Bad Man and his performance was excellent it was a big opportunity to work with him we had Jason play Larry, the sleazy owner of the record company and manager of the band. Jason brought more than just a performance to the film and I am beyond thankful for him to be on this journey with me.
With Debbie Dutch…. Everyone is in for a treat! Debbie was born for this role! She is hilarious, beyond hilarious, she needs her own sitcom! Debbie is so mega-talented that I don’t think that her true charm and talents have ever been shown in film. Give her the right material and you have solid gold. Every scene she is in is just hilarious. I always wanted to work with Debbie from the beginning. I have been a big fan of several of Debbie’s films especially Hard to Die! It was so surreal getting to work with one of your favorite actresses from one of your favorite films.
When it comes to Erin Brown, we had a few people from the film Thrust involved that Erin was in. We even had Victor Bonacore the Director come and be a part of the magic! When I was younger in the early 2000’s, Erin was everywhere at the video store on every shelf so when I actually talked to her and pitched the idea and she said yes. I was overwhelmed to have her. She landed the lead role. Working with Erin was very unique and quite different. I got to hear her perspective on pre-production something that is a must when working with me. Roni Jonah also knows from Deadly Dealings how important that is to me. Whoever takes a lead role it’s important, it’s crucial that we work closely together. We’re not just making film we’re making an extremely aesthetic art piece and the star needs to be heavily involved with the vision to make sure that they bring to film exactly what we are looking for. Erin nailed it! She becomes someone completely different on screen. She would put in her thoughts on things in pre-production and during filming. I took a lot with me even after the shoot with what I learned from her. We needed a strong lead actress who would take the role of Jamie Summers very, very seriously, we needed her to understand the vision and the character through and through. Erin Brown was just that. She is far beyond talented. She was taking the role that Melissa Moore once had so I think she took that and very much brought not only a similar look and style at times from that of Melissa but she really got into it and was very much dedicated to the role.
Koco Caine was brought in through Roni Jonah and Jason Crowe they recommended talking to Koco and having someone with the talents that Koco had. Sure enough after speaking with Koco she took the role and knocked it out of the water into a completely different dimension than what we ever expected! Since the character of Michelle Shock is already mega-famous in the movie we needed someone who stood out, someone so jaw-dropping in the part, and Koco Caine was Michelle. Wait til you all see the outfits, the hair, the nails, and the performance it’s truly special and I still watch footage non-stop of Koco. She is perfect!
Ravyn Rose got involved late into pre-production about when we were starting to film. But Ravyn was a huge help she landed us a bar to film in. On top of that, she was able to get tons of extras to show up dressed in the 80s. She played the role of Sandra who is trying to convince the band to let her front it. Ravyn shows a broad range of her talent in this role. She had recently worked on a previous project that was being directed by a director that directed me and he said she was extremely talented. She definitely proved to be and I look forward to working with Ravyn again, and I’m far beyond thankful for everything she did with helping out in production.
Me: What was the set like while shooting the film? How did the cast and crew react to the type of film being made?
AF: From Deadly Dealings to Scream Dream, no one ever knows what to expect unless you have worked with me prior. I think the only people who knew what I was going for were Steve McGill, Roni Jonah, Jason Crowe, and Ravyn Rose. They had either seen my previous film or were on set for Deadly Dealings and knew that it was not going to be normal. I have had several people question my choices as to why I picked that outfit, why are we making it look pastel and pink and glittery because that’s not what horror is. Trust the process. This is my style and this is who I am. Just like when you watch a Tim Burton film you know you're watching Tim Burton. He created a world in his movies that’s very distinct. That’s what I’m doing creating my world, my visions, my dreams, my thoughts, and my art. Who says horror can’t be beautiful and dreamy while being a nightmare and gory at the same time. I’m not trying to create what everyone else is doing. I want something on the screen 100% of the time that’s capturing the audience to where they don’t want to look away.
Me: Do you recall having any odd or funny on-set stories about yourself or any of the other cast/crew members?
AF: Debbie Dutch, she is just a beautiful person inside out and she is just hilarious in every way!
Me: With a lengthy post-production phase featuring plenty of controversy, what can you shed on the journey to get the film finished?
AF: There is so much happening with post-production as we speak. We are partnering with social group Knoxville Horror which is run by Sarah Claxton! Which has been really fun getting to know people going out to events and hanging out with people who love horror and talk horror. We are doing something really fun with the group!
Aside from that, the editing is being done by Jason Crowe and he has done such a beautiful job on the editing. I think so often filmmakers rush to do the film and get it out that “Sometimes” it doesn’t come out very well, there might have been so much opportunity if the time was taken to really craft the product that you took time to create. The more time and effort into crafting your product, the better your product. Quality over quantity. Anyone can fling out films fast but what if you take your time, craft it, mold it think about what it could become. I will put it this way I worked 4 full-time jobs to get this film made. At one point I had worked nearly 160 hours a week trying to get the remaining budget and to make sure that everything was perfect, I worked myself until I was sick and leaving work because I was vomiting from exhaustion, we had bought tons and tons of makeup, props, wigs, etc. I know my outfit alone cost around $1300. We had a real devil Trident made in Sweden and shipped here. We had a drag queen actually make the demon's wig and ship it to us. We had people in real leather for the band. We bought over 80 Galaxy roses that were translucent and used in almost every scene, an authentic pink radio cassette player from the 80s, bedding to fit the scene's aesthetic, and tons of jewelry. Makeup brushes, eyelashes, we spent a lot on neon lights, color-changing bulbs, and spiral bulbs. Candles, candelabra. Feathers, fog machine, fog juice, guitars, fishnet gloves, crimper, glitter, more lights and lamps, pictures and posters, and so much more. We put so much into it so much time and so much effort. Everyone that was involved on the set wanted to make it everything it could be. The people that were some people wanted to be there. Who wanted to work on the project and collaborate and share ideas to create this piece. So often have I been on sets where people show up they wear what they wore to get to the set as there is no thought into the wardrobe. There’s no thought into the makeup they need to be wearing and that goes for the men! Every man should be wearing make-up! You're being caught on camera for a movie! It mind boggles me that these details are so often missed. I give everyone a color palette. From there we bring that color put in their makeup and wardrobe and it’s very effective. I have been on several projects where people don’t want to take the time to go through the process and it’s something that is required when working on a project with me.
As I go on with this career I see that not everyone wants you to succeed I’ve learned not to put anything into this, move on, and just keep following your dreams. Business is just business it’s never personal. Some people will take it personally or even to extremes. I’ve seen this done on several projects in the independent film community I’ve had several filmmakers confide in me about several instances. Just keep moving forward.
Me: What are you most looking forward to with the film's upcoming release?
AF: I am looking forward to people seeing a Shot-on-Video film remade into a very visual film but I’m also excited for people to see what we did, and what we created. I hope it brings a new generation to the original and opens up more people to the genre of Shot-on-Video as well as art films. I’m very excited for people to see the art and with what Edward Grant is doing for the score, an erotic synthwave score. I’m looking forward for everyone to experience it.
Me: Lastly, what else are you working on that you'd like to share with our readers? Thank you again for your time!
AF: I currently have written several, scripts, stories, a book, and even lyrics. Over the past several months. I currently have three scripts one of them I’m still working on. However one of the three will be my next film. I’m really leaning towards one specifically. I like creating I like the feeling I get when I do it. Once Scream Dream is released, I may take a bit but we will announce the future project. Thank you for letting me share.
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