Interview with Horrors of War Director Peter John Ross

Posted by: Daniel

Writer/director/producer Peter John Ross recently took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us about life, favorite movies, and his upcoming film "Horrors of War"... and I gotta say he's one cool and hardworking guy.

MoviesOnline: What are some of your favorite films, horror and otherwise?

Peter John Ross: My favorite films are (in no particular order) Blade Runner, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Fellowship of the Rings, Star Wars (1977), A Clockwork Orange, and Porky's.

MO: Did anything specific lead you into a career as a filmmaker?

PJR: I was working as a broker for a large bank and after meeting Richard Linklater (Dazed & Confused, A Scanner Darkly), we had a long talk and I was very inspired. Shortly after, I had made a few short films, lost my brokerage job (fired for making movies about office llife on the premises). I've been full time filmmaker ever since. I've never been this poor or this happy in my life.

MO: How important is traditional schooling, do you think, for an ambitious filmmaker?

PJR: If you can afford it, go to film school. There are more important
relationships and networking available to film school students aside from great equipment & an environment conducive to making movies.

BUT, don't let $ stop you. For a few hundred $ you can teach yourself
everything you need to know. I never went to film school and I got a $60,000 film school education for $1.50 in late fees at the public library (I have to quote my sources - that was James Cameron in 1991 on Howard Stern, (later) ripped off by Matt & Ben for GOOD WILL HUNTING 1997).

Anyone can get a camcorder and a home PC and learn to make movies. It's a dangerous thing because anyone CAN make films, but not everyone can make them WELL. Like any other art form, practice makes perfect. No one buys a guitar at a music store then expects to play like Hendrix right out of the box, so why does every yahoo with a camcorder think they'll be Kubrick on their first movie? They think because they watch a lot of movies they're qualified to make one, but that's not different than being someone who listens to a lot of classical music expects to write a symphony with no experience. Learn the craft, pratice first.

Ambition is the key. Hold on to that energy & keep trucking.

MO: Horrors of War is set during WWII. How much research into military history did you have to do for this film?

PJR: We had WWII re-enactors and several other experts consulting on the film. We did do research and made sure the names of places were correct and dates. The entire concept was based on the fact that Hitler did try several experiments on prisoners and soldiers, we just embellished and took it into a realm where it made a good horror story. Other changes from fact came from economic constraints being an independent, we couldn't always have the exact correct uniforms or props, but it's probably 85-90% accurate.

MO: The premise of the film is that Hitler has unleashed a secret weapon in order to fight off the advancing allied soldiers. Are the infected soldiers... zombies?

PJR: Heh, I won't say exactly what they are. There are two major types of experiments, one is lycan in nature, and the others are.. I'll let that one go for now.

MO: Are there any specific films or directors who have inspired your work?

PJR: George Lucas when I was 5 years old opened my mind to imagination. Not long after Spielberg really had a major influence. Nowaways, I love Stanley Kubrick for his movies, but seeing the documentaries on how he acted to cast & crew was pretty brutal, and by contrast I'm very moved by the lovefest that is the making of LORD OF THE RINGS and KING KONG with Peter Jackson. I think the teamwork & care shows in the work.

I like the collaborative process a lot. Horrors of War is co-directed &
co-written by John Whitney, co-written and produced by Phil Garrett,
produced by Sean Reid. We don't want to have ego-central on our movies. We directed the two halves of the movie separately, but edited it together as one whole together.

MO: Do you think war is a necessary path to peace?

PJR: Rarely, but yes. I think Hitler was the last clear "bad guy" in human history. That's why WWII stories appeal to me. It's a clear good guy/bad guy scenario and we, as viewers don't get that very much any more.

A WWIII vet made it clear as to how that was different than now. We were attacked, and there was a clear enemy. It's not like today where we're trying to declare war on abstract concepts. A "war on terror"? Give me a break, why don't we declare a "war on bad feelings" too.

MO: Horrors of War seems to have quite a bit of computer animation as well as traditional special effects and make up, which do you prefer?

PJR: We used CGI to enhance the scope of a few shots and to do the planes. Aside from that, it's sparingly used. I love CGI, but I think in camera is always better. I'm not some film purist that will not use something because it isn't natural. I'm all about what works best & what we can afford.

The CGI planes were done by Don Drennan, and the onset makeup was created by Tom Savini make up school graduate Shawn Collins.

MO: Is there any stock footage of battles in the film?

PJR: There is NO STOCK FOOTAGE OF ANY KIND used in the film. For anything "aged", we shot a D-Day re-enactment in September 2004 on Super 8 black & white film and it came out exactly like old newsreel and combat footage. There is nothing in this film that wasn't created specifically for Horrors of War.

MO: How difficult was it to stage the battle scenes?

PJR: Very. Safety is a big concern. The re-enactors are very experienced with blank firing and explosions, but we add the factor of a film crew and cast, and we all have to be very sensitive and paranoid about not getting anyone hurt.

Special FX (meaning on set practical FX) coordinator Rick Fike was very good about keep everyone alert and safe.

Choreography involving tanks, trucks, and a canon were of particular fun because it was a lot of extras and explosions and guns. A really good AD (Assistant Director) team on radios kept everything running smooth and organized.

MO: Why did you decide to use WWII as a setting for the film, and do you touch on the Holocaust?

PJR: We do not broach the topic of the holocaust at all. I think any kind of "horror movie" elements can't really touch the atrocity of what really went on.

They say the best fiction represents a metaphor for something real. Germans and Nazis as demons works, but I can't really find anything worse than what they really did then to the Jews, artists, gays, and others sent to concentration camps.

MO: What sort of audience is this film geared to?

PJR: Horrors of War is specifically a hybrid Horror/Action/Sci Fi film. It's for the type of audience who digs horror and want to see something a little different, a "crossover" kind of film if you will.

MO: When will we be able to see Horrors of War?

PJR: Sometime in 2006 Horrors of War will be released in the U.S. and worldwide on DVD. We're also in talks to make it on TV. My hope is to get it on the SCI FI CHANNEL, but we'll have to see. We have to compete with "Mansquito" for air time.

Many thanks to Peter John Ross for the interview. You can check out the film's homepage here, where you will find trailers, photos, and more info on Sonnyboo Productions.