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Rated: 5.00/5 | Votes: 5 | Views: 68 |Submitted: 06/09/08

Interview with Otis Director Tony Krantz

By Heather Wixson

After a legendary career as a producer, Director and Co-Founder of Raw Feed Films Tony Krantz has finally found himself back where he belongs- behind the camera.  On June 10th, Krantz delivers his second feature to horror fans, Otis, a black comedy horror film starring Daniel Stern, Ileana Douglas, and Kevin Pollack.

Otis is the first of the second trio of films under the Raw Feed banner. Krantz began the company with Daniel Myrick (The Blair Witch Project) and John Shiban (The X-Files) initially as a TV venture in which the trio hoped to offer TV viewers the next Twilight Zone.  However, most networks passed on their idea since many felt that the idea of the TV anthology was going the way of the dinosaurs.  The Raw Feed guys were presented with the idea of creating a series of Direct-to-DVD features, which was something Krantz hadn’t even realized was a creative outlet.

“We met with Warner Bros. and the meeting went great,” said Krantz. “Based simply on one 30 minute meeting and a pitch, we were green lit for three features where we would serve as producers. That’s rather unusual and at that point, directing hadn’t even crossed my mind yet.”

The first three Raw Feed movies were Rest Stop (which is Warner Home Videos top-selling original Made-for-Video title ever), Sublime (which was Krantz’s first time behind the camera), and Believers.

The idea for Otis is one Krantz came up with from scratch. “I saw all these cases of kidnappings in the US, which is every parent’s worse nightmare.  I wanted to explore what would happen if parents took matters into their own hands and got their revenge, but I wanted to add a comedic twist to the idea.”

Krantz brought writers Thomas Schnauz (Reaper, The X-Files) and Erik Jendresen (Sublime, Band of Brothers) on board to bring his idea to life, the result being a smart, biting script that subtly takes on the Iraq war and also serves as pointed commentary against the trend of torture porn films that have plagued theaters for the last several years.

“We purposely limited the amount of violence you see against Riley (played by Ashley Johnson, who is abducted by the title character Otis),” said Krantz. “There was a clear line for us- Riley would not get raped in the movie and we chose to limit the violence we saw Otis inflict on his victims too.  From the very first shot in the movie, we are making a satirical commentary against the torture porn genre.”

Although many might think balancing the horror genre and the comedy genre, Krantz calls the two “strange bedfellows.” “It wasn’t really difficult to find the balance,” commented Krantz. “Because we had such a strong script, both elements felt really focused throughout the film.  The circumstances surrounding Riley’s family exacting their revenge on Otis are inherently comedic and we just found a tone that we stuck with and just waited to see what happened.”

“There’s even a slapstick element to the movie, especially with Daniel (Stern) who, to me, was playing his character in the same vein as someone like Dick Van Dyke,” Krantz added.

Otis was shot in just 18 days and the result is an impressive film that boasts not only an impressive soundtrack, but a polished cast of veterans and newcomers alike.  According to Krantz, the casting is due largely to having a great script.

“If you don’t have a good script, you’re not going to get anywhere with developing your cast,” said Krantz.  “We needed to find actors that would signal to viewers that there is a comedic range to the movie based on how they (Douglas, Stern and Pollack) relate to their previous works.”

Although Krantz has no formal training behind the camera, he says directing is what motivates him the most in the business. “The first time I directed (Sublime), when I first stepped behind the camera, it felt like a glove fitting a hand- it was so natural for me.  As a director, I can take all my skills from over the years in the business and finally apply it to what I really love.  Directing is the creative thrill of a lifetime for me.”

Krantz will next be directing the upcoming NASCAR 3-D IMAX film which he describes as something similar to a roller coaster ride.  He’s also working with Jendresen on a film called Big Bang, which is a Neo-Noir detective movie that taps into the spirit of David Lynch and the Coen Brothers.

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