Interview with Antonio Perez, Director of Luna

I recently watched the short film Luna and instantly felt that whoever was behind this movie is probably destined to have a successful movie career. That’s the very least I hope for  LA based director Antonio Perez who proves to have a knack for storytelling and strong visuals.

So I asked him for a quick interview and he promptly accepted. You will find the questions and his great answers below. Antonio is definitively a horror movie fan and it showed in its film.

Where did the idea for Luna come from?

The idea for LUNA came to me on a spontaneous late night road trip to Vegas. My friend, the driver, insisted he knew a “short cut” through Palmdale, CA. We were driving down a two- lane, deserted road when our car gets a flat tire. My friend pulls over and immediately starts fixing the flat. Just then, it begins to rain — hard.

So there we are, 2am, fixing a flat tire in total darkness and in heavy rain. That’s when I noticed something in the distance. As I walked towards “it”, I soon discovered a weathered bulletin board plastered with “missing person” flyers. I immediately went cold with fear. “Why the hell were these flyers posted out here in the middle of nowhere?!”

That got me thinking. What if townspeople out here were picking off stranded motorists? But instead of serial killer types, the the townspeople were actually monsters — werewolfs.

You also co-wrote the very popular short The Raven. Do you feel closer to the SF genre or the horror Genre?

I love all types of movie genres. However, I do have a special place in my heart for horror. It’s one of the most creative genres out there with some of the most passionate, die hard fans.

Luna was partly financed with crowdfunding. What’s your take on this new source of financing for independent filmmakers?

I think crowd funding is an amazing resource for independent filmmakers. I don’t think LUNA would have been possible without it.

Despite a small budget, Luna is visually impressive. What would you have done differently if you had an even bigger budget?

I would have loved to have had at least an extra day of padding in our tight schedule. Unfortunately, our budget only allowed for three days of filming.

What are the movies/directors that inspired you to become filmmakers?

Movies: Back to the Future, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard, Jaws, Predator, Halloween, The Thing, Evil Dead, Dawn of the Dead, El Mariachi

Directors: Spielberg, Lucas, Zemeckis, McTiernan, Carpenter, Raimi, Romero, Rodriguez

Horror Anthology movies are back in force now and with the success of movies like V/H/S 2 would you consider being a part of V/H/S 3?

I would love to be a part of VHS 3! These recent horror anthologies (VHS, ABC’s OF DEATH) have given a voice to new filmmakers who might not have had the opportunity to make a horror feature. Plus, short films are always a good way to push the limits of horror.

What movies have impressed you the most, recently?

The Conjuring was one of my favorite movies of the year. Well acted, beautifully paced, and scary as hell! It’s definitely an instant classic.

Is there a movie that you would have love to make/re-make?

I would love to remake Lamberto’s Bava’s Demoni (1985). This movie is completely insane! I have always felt that the film had an amazing setup, yet never really connected the ending back to the “film-within-a-film.” I already have an idea of how I would tie those two together. Please don’t hate me horror fans!

What about a book/comics adaptation?

At this point, I think the industry is saturated with comic book adaptations. I would rather focus on creating original content. I wouldn’t mind doing a Batman film, though.

Tell us more about your next project(s)?

I’m working on a couple of sci-fi projects, in the vein of The Raven. I’m also working on turning LUNA into a feature. I’m really excited about that.

Last but not least, what’s your favorite Scary Movie?

Too many to pick just one! Here are a few: The Excorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Halloween (1978), The Thing (1982), The Shining, Alien, Psycho, Evil Dead (1981), Dawn Of the Dead (1978), An American Werewolf in London.