Melissa LaMartina is concerned in a whole lot of cool stuff. She’s the lead singer of the cryptid-themed surf band Seashore Creeper, she wrote the super-popular Amanda the Adventurer online game, and now she’s releasing her first movie as a director, For Sale By Exorcist, through Dread (a sister firm of Dread Central). And let’s not overlook Melissa’s horror-host selection present Shocktail Hour, a dwell present that she places on a number of instances a yr. If there’s one theme working by all these tasks, it’s a love of horror (the campier the higher).
Melissa’s first main movie position as an actor was the lead within the cult basic Name Woman of Cthulhu. It’s there that she met director Chris LaMartina, finest recognized for WNUF Halloween Particular. They’d ultimately turn into collaborators, they usually obtained married, too! For Sale By Exorcist marks their first collab with Melissa on the helm.
We spoke with Melissa LaMartina through laptop, discussing her love of theater, discovering the varied places for For Sale By Exorcist, and being a part of a cryptid surf rock band.
Dread Central: What would you say was your first creative love?
Melissa LaMartina: Theater was first for a REALLY very long time. I began doing theater once I was a child. Then as I went into faculty I began stepping into costume design, and I obtained extra into directing. And as an grownup I continued to direct. I used to be creative director / managing director of a group theater right here in Baltimore. Then I obtained concerned with the Baltimore Rock Opera Society. Did a whole lot of writing, directing, and appearing for them. And as soon as I met Chris, first I acted for him after which I obtained extra into the manufacturing facet of issues, too, which actually appealed to me. However that is my first time directing a characteristic, which is terrifying. [Laughs]
DC: So was stepping into movie all the time a part of the plan?
ML: Not likely. I used to be at some extent the place I used to be doing again to again and overlapping theater exhibits, whether or not it was as an actor or as a director. Actually, whereas we have been making Name Woman of Cthulhu, I used to be, on the identical time, directing a manufacturing of Medea in Baltimore. So I used to be directing this Greek tragedy whereas on the identical time performing in a film. In order that was wild.
Mainly what occurred was I used to be doing all this theater and was form of within the temper for one thing new, and a good friend of mine who I did burlesque with was doing the wardrobe for Name Woman. She stated, “Hey, you need to come audition for this.” They have been doing a burlesque fundraiser, so I stated, “That’ll get their consideration!” So I did a routine based mostly on Girl Macbeth the place I saved discovering blood on myself after which I’ve to maintain shedding the clothes that’s obtained blood on it.
So I met Chris at that, however come to seek out out that he’d been eyeing me up on Fb for some time. We had intersecting social circles, however we’d by no means actually met, which I assumed was actually humorous. So it was only a operate of being prepared for one thing new. As a result of I’d been telling tales by theater and thru burlesque for such a very long time that it was like, “What else is obtainable to me?”
DC: So, video video games. How did you become involved in making one?
ML: That took place as a result of we’d been speaking to of us at Dread about some completely different tasks after which somebody requested Chris about making a trailer for Mortuary Assistant, one in every of their video games that got here out earlier than Amanda the Adventurer. Then they contacted him once more about performing some dwell motion content material for Amanda. They talked about they have been on the lookout for a author. He informed them about my expertise at Hunt a Killer, the truth that I used to be a author, the truth that I used to be a director. So I obtained in contact with the staff that was making Amanda and put collectively a bit portfolio.
I talked to them and had a fantastic dialog proper off the bat. We went by a couple of rabbit holes, after which I used to be introduced onto the staff, which was superior as a result of they gave me such an enormous sandbox to play in. They’d made a proof of idea sport, the pilot, and it it was so nicely acquired. They gave me such a present after they introduced me on the staff—as a result of I wrote all of the lore, and I wrote all of the scripts for the complete launch—they stated, “Pay attention, you’ll be able to discard something you need from the pilot, so long as you retain the 2 characters and the essential conceit.” Apart from that they stated, “You are able to do no matter you need with it.”
I pitched to them 4 completely different concepts for the lore—what was happening, how she obtained there, why your character that you just’re enjoying by is there—they usually simply let me run with it, which was superior.
DC: So there was just a bit backbone of a narrative and also you crammed out the remainder?
ML: Yeah, there was an idea, they usually let me rewrite your complete story. They saved the bones. They stated, “Hey, it’s this cartoon, there are these two characters.” However then I used to be in a position to provide you with your complete story freely. They weren’t too treasured about something. We have been in a position to discover a lot extra in that full-length sport.
DC: You probably did the voice directing, too, proper?
ML: I did!
DC: Was that all the time a part of the plan?
ML: No, as I obtained extra concerned, particularly after writing the scripts, having a background as a director, I began speaking to the blokes about, “Hey, have any of you directed actors earlier than? Would you want me to do it?” And so they have been actually open to it, which was cool. I believe they have been actually grateful to have someone with that have on board.
So I pitched that whereas we have been already engaged on the sport, as a result of I’m a bit little bit of a management freak typically, and I wished it to be proper. I wished it to be how I pictured it.
DC: You have got a brand new movie, For Sale By Exorcist!
ML: I do!
DC: It was fairly enjoyable following on Fb the saga of your location searching. There should have been a whole lot of places.
ML: Oh my God, so many places!
DC: Have been there any that have been significantly onerous to get your fingers on?
ML: Yeah! I put about 900 miles on my automobile simply scouting places for For Sale By Exorcist. I added all of it up so I might have it prepared for taxes! There have been a few places that have been actually troublesome. The situation the place the climax of the film takes place—that was actually difficult as a result of we wanted an area that we might actually transfer into for an prolonged time frame since we wanted three days for the shoot. However we additionally wanted an area that labored for our specific wants. We additionally needed to do some loopy stuff in there, so I used to be wracking my mind.
We have been multi-use areas, and I used to be calling builders in Baltimore the place I’d analysis house buildings that have been being constructed however weren’t open but, or rec facilities that weren’t open but. I’m chilly calling all of those improvement corporations and saying, “Hey, I see you’ve got a constructing that’s about to be open. Is there a window of time between it being open and folks truly transferring into it that we are able to come shoot a film?”
A pair have been receptive, a pair have been like, “What the hell are you speaking about?” Even those that have been receptive, the timing simply didn’t work. They have been like, “Should you want one thing in July we’ve obtained one thing in July,” which clearly we couldn’t make.
So, in the end I ended up by the Maryland Movie Workplace getting connected with this wonderful property proprietor in Brewer’s Hill, Baltimore, who took me to tour a constructing that had beforehand been used as manufacturing places of work for different productions that had come by Baltimore like We Personal this Metropolis. They’d used them for wardrobe fittings, Covid testing, pulling in extras, however it hadn’t been on display. So that is one thing fully new for them. However they allowed us to maneuver in for per week forward of time, do all our constructing, all our set dressing, and we had free reign of the place for that time frame. It was a lifesaver. That was a pivotal location.
Then we wanted a home that neglected a cemetery. It needed to be seen from the entrance porch. So for that, we ended up resorting to flyering. It was humorous as a result of, for some time Chris was like, “You already know we are able to cheat it. We will have the home after which we are able to shoot the cemetery in a special location.” I used to be like, “No, I need them to have the ability to stroll out of the home and also you see it proper there. I need this to be steady.” So I flyered homes throughout Maryland. Central Maryland, Harford County, Baltimore Metropolis. Simply solid this vast internet. Flyered about 50 homes. I believe three folks referred to as or emailed us out of that. The flyer simply stated, “Hey we make motion pictures. Can we use your home?”
This girl in Westminster obtained in contact with us, had us out to take a look at it. So Chris and I went over there and 20 minutes in she’s pouring us glasses of wine, we’re chatting like previous associates, and simply speaking about our lives. She was wonderful!
Then we confirmed as much as shoot there a pair weeks later and she or he and her husband simply stated, “Okay, in case you want us our telephone numbers are on the board within the laundry room. Tell us whenever you’re carried out.” And left us of their home. We had met them as soon as! It was only a group of strangers that they welcomed into their residence fully unsupervised. Which astounds me. I don’t know if I might do this!
DC: So all of it labored out in the long run!
ML: Yeah!
DC: You kind of needed to have religion that it could.
ML: Oh my God, man, you must. You’ll go loopy in case you don’t.
DC: So Chris [LaMartina] co-wrote this script?
ML: Yeah, Chris and his buddy Rob [Walker] co-wrote For Sale By Exorcist. Chris did the story and the preliminary script after which he and Rob bounced it backwards and forwards a few instances. As a result of Rob’s experience is in actually robust comedy punch up. So Rob did a whole lot of that.
As soon as we began speaking to the remainder of the staff about making For Sale By Exorcist and we began speaking to Dread and began speaking concerning the scope and the finances and all that, Chris and I have been truly on the time staying at a lodge as a result of our kitchen was being renovated. So we have been staying at this lodge and each night from 5 to seven this lodge would have free snacks and drinks within the foyer. We might go all the way down to the foyer and drink wine or get some whiskey and we learn the script. I made a bunch of notes. We ended up slicing out complete scenes, complete characters. Strengthening the bones but additionally attempting to scale back its footprint a bit, simply fascinated about the finances.
It was a wild time that we had this retreat that was unintended, as a result of once we left to go to this lodge for our renovation, we have been there for a month, and we weren’t even speaking about For Sale By Exorcist. However that each one developed whereas we have been there, and it ended up being this unintentional author’s retreat.
DC: From the start of improvement, was it deliberate that you’d direct? Have been they writing For Sale By Exorcist for you?
ML: No, initially Chris actually wished to jot down a script that he might promote, that wasn’t essentially one thing that we’d make. However in speaking to Dread, they actually wished us to be extra concerned in it. In fact initially they talked to Chris about directing it as a result of he’s the one in every of us who’s the clearer choice there due to his physique of labor. He’s been a movie director for a very long time now. However his full time job is absolutely prohibitive so far as having the ability to have the time to make a film the place you must shoot it in 15 to twenty days.
Our earlier tasks have been nights and weekends. Out There Halloween Mega Tape—Covid apart, as a result of Covid fully screwed us—it took us 5 years to make it as a result of we have been making it once we might work on it. Which doesn’t actually work whenever you begin speaking to manufacturing corporations. They don’t wish to wait 5 years for a film, which is comprehensible.
So we talked to them about me directing For Sale By Exorcist, they usually have been receptive to that. As a result of I do have a background in directing. My power is definitely working with actors and dealing on characterization and issues like that. I did, on this course of, study loads about different points of directing movie, like speaking with the director of images and issues like that. I had a powerful basis for it, however I’m actually grateful that I obtained this chance as a result of For Sale By Exorcist was such a studying expertise.
DC: So, there’ll be one other one after this, I’m assuming?
ML: I’d like to do it once more! It’s such a special expertise from directing theater. In theater you’ve got that luxurious of the rehearsal course of the place you’ll be able to actually dive in, and naturally with movie you’ve got the luxurious of having the ability to do a number of takes. And there are such benefits and downsides to each as an actor and as a director, and I really feel like one informs the opposite for me. The strengths can actually assist one another.
DC: What impressed the Aurora Gorealis character and the way did you provide you with Shocktail Hour?
ML: Shocktail Hour got here to be in 2017. I had been speaking to my good friend Sam who owns Golden West Cafe right here in Baltimore about how I’d all the time wished to dip my toe into horror internet hosting. I’d carried out some emcee form of stuff earlier than within the burlesque world and I’ve such a love for camp and particularly the place camp and horror intersect. I simply suppose there’s a lot potential whenever you get a bunch of individuals collectively to expertise one thing like that. In most of my expertise with theater, and as a performer and director in a number of media, I worth immersion and world-building. Immersion is a big factor for me.
About 2016 or so, I directed A Bucket of Blood for the stage. I did a transcription of the film script and I directed this manufacturing the place we set it at an previous restaurant in Baltimore, turned that restaurant right into a membership and Walter’s house was on the stage. However something that befell within the espresso home befell across the viewers. On the bar, across the tables, and there was a full artwork present the place every week I had visible artists show their work. We began every evening with a presentation of Beat poetry. I used to be so involved in a transformative form of expertise the place folks can are available and have this world wash over them. The place they’re totally residing on this house for this short-term time frame.
With social media, and a whole lot of us being on our telephones on a regular basis, you don’t get a whole lot of alternatives to essentially be current and actually expertise one thing. So it’s vital for me to offer folks these alternatives.
With Shocktail Hour, what actually appealed to me there was doing that very same factor as kind of a celebration environment. Constructing an evening round a film. Watching issues that have been form of foolish, actually enjoyable. The primary few motion pictures we did have been Don’t Look within the Basement, the unique Little Store of Horrors, we did one in every of my absolute favorites, The Undertaker and his Buddies. We have been exposing folks to motion pictures lots of people hadn’t seen, and I’d do these ridiculous skits, we’d have drawing contests the place we’d put up a projector and present everybody’s drawings, we’d do cocktails that have been on theme. Trying round a room and seeing a bunch of adults watching a campy horror film and so absorbed of their drawings for the drawing contest – it’s actually particular to go searching and see folks totally absorbed in being on this house.
That transitioned with the pandemic, as a result of I had a present March of that yr. All day I used to be questioning, “What’s the proper factor to do?” Individuals hadn’t began shutting down but, however I don’t wish to endanger anyone. I don’t know if it’s proper to get fifty folks right into a restaurant. So we did it dwell and broadcast it from our basement with a set that we had truly constructed for Out There for Dr. Frankenstein and Dracula themed commercials. We turned it right into a Shocktail Hour set and dwell streamed it for the primary time. I discovered that Fb has actually good robots, as a result of they may present instantly that you just’re exhibiting a film that’s copyrighted, and can shut you down!
So we needed to restart it a bunch of instances, and that was us reaching out to associates who had made motion pictures and exhibiting their motion pictures. I confirmed Home Shark, I confirmed a few of our stuff. Nevertheless it was cool as a result of it gave us a possibility to department out and showcase work from folks whose work we love.
DC: Because you’re doing so many issues, you would possibly as nicely add a band onto that.
ML: I do know!
DC: How’d you provide you with the idea of a cryptid-based surf band?
ML: So Chris and I are actually into tiki. Each time we journey, the very first thing we glance up is the tiki bars. We turned our shed right into a tiki bar. And, after all, we love cryptids, we love monsters. After we journey we’ll go to the museum of regardless of the native cryptid is, so it appeared like a pure factor. A love of novelty bands, tiki, and cryptids and monsters! And naturally that was Seashore Creeper. How might it not?
So we began working with a few our associates, our bandmates Brian and Paul. Brian was the primary bandmate that we added, and he and Chris began writing the music. For some time, Chris was writing all of the lyrics, however I kind of took that over as a result of I wished to really feel extra concerned than simply being the vocalist and entrance individual of the band.
For Sale By Exorcist involves VOD on March 11, 2025.
Categorized:Interviews
