I got the chance to ask some cool questions to friend Jeffery Reddick Hope you enjoy...

You have an incredible story of how you entered the world of horror.  Do you want to elaborate on your beginnings while writing letters to the then head of New Line Cinema at the age of 14?
The year was 1984 and a young hillbilly in  saw a film that changed his life. Eastern KentuckyThat movie was the original Nightmare On Elm Street.  It really just blew me away.  I went home and wrote a 15-page prequel treatment and sent it to Robert Shaye, the head of New Line Cinema.  He returned the material unread with the standard, “we don’t accept unsolicited material” letter.  So me being 14 and not knowing how the film industry worked, I wrote him back a snarky letter. I pointed out all the money and time I spent watching New Line movies and I told him that the least he could do is read my story.  Well, surprisingly, he did and got back to me with a very nice letter offering encouragement and advice.  After that I became pen pals with his assistant, Joy Mann.  She’d send me movie posters and I’d send her my scripts.  At 19, I moved to New Yorkand got an internship at New Line.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  To this day, I credit Bob Shaye and Joy Mann for my career.  And Wes Craven for creating one of the best horror films of all time.

What drove you into the world of horror?
I’ve always loved horror movies.  As a kid, I think it was kind of rebellion thing.  My buddies and I loved watching the “gross” films that other people couldn’t handle.  We were all about the gore and nudity.  But soon, I really fell in love with the emotional roller coaster ride.  It was gripping to see regular, everyday people face monsters and killers and emerge victorious. 

How did you get your foot into the door of Hollywood?
Working at New Line Cinema for 11 years.  The life-experience was the biggest door that was opened for me.  I got to learn first-hand about the studio process… everything from development to marking and distribution.  It was invaluable.  I learned about all of the variables that come in to play when trying to make a movie.  New Line also produced my first film, “Final Destination.” 

How did Final Destination manifest? Was it your first screenplay?
It was actually my 6th script.  I had written four scripts over the years and was hired to write “Pumpkinhead 3” (which never got made.)But the actual concept behind “Final Destination” came about when I was on a plane, flying home for the holidays.  I read an article that really creeped me out.  It was about a young woman who was on vacation.  And on the day she was supposed to fly home, her mother called her in a panic and begged her to switch flights.  The mother just said she had a bad feeling.  The young woman took a different flight and the plane she was originally on crashed.   So that article really got my wheels turning.  I thought this woman had literally cheated death.  Then I started thinking about destiny and the idea that many people think that when it’s their time to die, it’s inevitable.  So I was trying to think of something that could interrupt the natural order of things and came up with the idea of a premonition.  I was trying to get an agent at the time and I was told to write a spec script for something that was on TV.  I was a huge fan of “The X-files,” so I wrote a sample episode where Scully’s little-seen brother, Charles, had the premonition.  A colleague at New Line, Mark Kaufman, loved the idea and suggested I do it as a feature.  I wrote a treatment and connected with producers, Craig Perry and Warren Zide.

Tamara is an outstanding film that’s reminiscent of 80’s films…how did this project come about?
Well, Stephen King is one of my favorite writers and Carrie is one of his many excellent stories.  There’s something universal about bullied kids rising up and getting even with their tormentors.  I grew up loving comic books and horror movies and was considered a geek.  And I wasn’t the biggest stud in the world either.  I was on a little league baseball team called The Blue Flames and I played right field… so I was definitely picked on.  And Carrie always resonated with me.  With Tamara, I wanted to create a movie where the victim of a vicious and fatal, bullying attack comes back early in the story and spends the rest of the movie getting revenge.  I set out to write a script that really pushed the envelope in terms of twisted psychological horror and sexuality.  But the producers got nervous about the more intense horrific/sexual stuff and watered it down.  Then our budget got slashed and we had to lose some characters and subplots. I’ve been through the dreaded development process enough times before, so I can kind of get distance on the finished project.  Now when I watch the film on its own merits, it’s a entertaining and I’m really touched by the fans that I hear from.  But it would have been cool to see my darker, and more twisted, version. 

Steve Miner is a legend in the horror genre.  …What was it like working with him?
Steve’s directed some of my favorite movies, Friday The 13th Part 2, House, Warlock and Halloween H20.  So when you get the chance to work with someone who’s worked you admire, it’s mind blowing.  He was really down to earth person and was very hands on with the script.   He also had me on the set for a few weeks, so I learned a lot by just watching him direct.

Did you feel pressure writing a screenplay like Day of the Dead?
No…not at all…it was a piece of cake.  Of course, I’m kidding.  I did feel a lot of pressure.  I’m a horror fan myself and I know how sick of remakes I am.  Plus Romero and his ‘dead’ films are so iconic.  So I knew it was going to be a bumpy ride from the beginning.  Knowing that Steve was directing took some of the edge off.  I really came at the project by trying to do a remake that respected the original and was a good standalone film.  And the take that I pitched, which is what the studio hired me off of, was much more faithful to the original.  Almost 60% of the story took place in the underground military facility and the characters were much closer to their counterparts in the original.  Over the course of writing it, I was forced to lose most of the material that referenced the original.  It was really annoying and I was constantly warning the studio that we needed to respect the fans and deliver what they expected.  Personally, I wish the movie was called “Super zombies”…and the tag line was “They leap, they climb walls and they eat their own eyeballs!”  I think it would have gotten a much better reception then.

With Halloween fast approaching, what will you dress up as this year?
Well, I’m turning this interview in late, so Halloween has passed.  I was down in  partying with some friends and I had a great time.  But, I’m feeling the economic crunch along with the rest of the country, so I went low key.  I popped in some whiteout contacts and wore a funky t-shirt.  So I guess I was possessed, or a zombie, or just a guy with cataracts.

Can you give us your top 5 horror films for a good fright night?
A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Evil Dead.

What are some of your other future projects?
I just had an animated project optioned, that I’m really psyched about.  I’m currently writing the pilot for that.  And I’m finishing up an urban slasher film for Regent Entertainment.  The urban horror market is so underserved and when someone tries to tap in to it, they end up doing something silly like throwing a Leprechaun or a Werewolf in “the hood.”   So I’m really excited about this project. And after that I’m diving in to a book adaptation. The details are still being finalized, so all I can officially say is that it’s a spooky project and different than anything I’ve done in the past.