Jamie Blanks

Yet another Australian director hits the big time! Jamie Blanks is currently the 'Horror King' of Hollywood. After many months of hard work, he's home, and celebrating the success of slasher blockbuster Valentine. Kellee Cruse editor of Femail.com.au caught up with him on his return to Melbourne this month.


Age - 29
Lives - Moorabin Victoria
Music artist - Likes Movie soundtracks
Book - Stephen king
Website - Amazon.com for all my DVD's!


"The human evil is far more terrifying that supernatural evil."

Congratulations on a fantastic film Jamie. I loved Valentine, particularly because I grew up with eighties horror flicks. 'Happy Birthday to Me', 'Nightmare on Elm st' and 'Friday the 13th' were just some of my favourites. With Valentine you managed to capture a flavour reminiscent of those films. Setting those initial scenes from Valentine, in the 1980's made it real treat for anybody who remembers those times. Were Nightmare on Elm st and the like, the types of films that had you aspiring to become a horror flick director?
Oh yeah", these films were a huge inspiration to me. My favourite was easily Halloween, the first one. And another movie called the Fog.

Are these the scariest films you've ever seen?
Those and Texas Chainsaw massacre. I'm actually one of those people that didn't think the Exorcist was that scary. The human evil is far more terrifying that supernatural evil, so I was always drawn to those type of movies.
All I can say is that plenty of people will say no to you before they say yes.

What encouraging words do you have for kids in Australia aspiring to achieve the success you have? It's a long way from here to Hollywood, but you've done it.
Actually with the amount of Aussies being nominated for the academy awards, and the amount of Aussies getting over there and doing it, that should be all the encouragement they need to prove that it can happen."I was always single mindedly focussed on wanting to get over there, and get a career in this industry. All I can say is that plenty of people will say 'no' to you before they will say 'yes'. So just keep persevering, if anyone is serious about directing, go to film school, that's the best way to do it.

Jamie you graduated at the Victorian College of Arts in Melbourne? Now that you are working in Hollywood, you've obviously met other Hollywood directors, do you sense that training in Melbourne compared to training in LA may be advantageous, as you have, shall we say, a different cultural flavour?
You bring back a certain warmth from Australia that you don't find everywhere in America and they (Americans) really respond to that. The training in Melbourne is fine. You are going to be working with some of the most experienced craftspeople in the world when you go to Hollywood. All you need to have is a clear vision of the movie and be able to communicate it to those people, be able to pull it off.

So compared to those being schooled in America to work in this industry you don't feel that you were at any disadvantage trying to make it happen from Australia?
Not at all, only that it's so far away. In the early days it was tough trying to get the money together to come back and fourth. I went over several times before I landed my first job.

What would you be now if you weren't directing?
Editing. I was editing commercials since I graduated from school and that's what I would probably still be doing.

Are you going to make any other, genre of film in the near future?
I am. I'm definitely going to work in thrillers and action movies. I'd even like to do some comedy as I thought the comedy in Valentine worked pretty nicely. I won't be doing another 'slasher' film next time round; I've had enough of those.

So are you ever going to make another slasher film? You've just brought the whole slasher thing back!
Well I'm just saying my next film won't be a slasher. I don't know if the industry is going to support that genre of film anymore, I think they have kind of 'done their dash.' I mean the 'Scary movie lampoon genre.' 'Valentine' is one of the last 'real' slasher films to come out of the gate that wasn't sending itself up.

Do you enjoy watching your own films?
The funny thing is, after you finish making your own film the last thing you want to do is sit down and watch your own movie. When you see it everyday, sometimes two or three times a day for weeks or months. I couldn't imagine anything more horrible than sitting down and watching my two movies (Urban Legends/Valentine).
I couldn't imagine anything more horrible than sitting down and watching my two movies(Urban Legends/Valentine)!

I've heard that you pop into the odd public screening of your films. How much satisfaction does that bring? Listening to stranger's reactions to your work.
Well I did do that for Urban Legends, but you never stay for the whole movie, you just turn up in time for the good stuffto happen.

What is your opinion on actors? Do you trust them enough to give them a lot of 'ad lib' freedom?
Yeah I do, but not so much 'ad libbing'. I think that is an insult to the screenwriter. I'll make jokes with them (the actors) sometimes when they suggest an alternate line; "yeah I sat in a dark room working with these writers for months, just so you could change it all now No you can say what's on the page." But you have to give the actors some room to 'play around.' So what I do; time permitting; is shoot the tape, get what I want, make sure I get what I need, then if we still have the time I will let the actors have a play. It's not as if I would bother turning the camera on or anything. (laughs) No, no I'm kidding.

For me Valentine had the perfect horror flick formula. I actually found Scream, and know what you did last summer a little too removed from reality and the audience. The characters were devoid of any emotion for each other. Would you agree?
Indeed, I tried to ground them a little more in reality and have real things happen to them, I didn't want it to be a Dawson's creek episode.

Even though Denise Richards brought the ultimate bitch character to Valentine, she was still believable; there are people like her out there..
I tried to make Denise's character have a more male sensibility. I wasn't trying to make her into a bitch, kind of just like Samantha on Sex in the city.

Sum up Denise Richards, in a few words?
Completely unlike what anyone would expect based on the movies she's appeared in. The sweetest, nicest, most easy to get along with professional girl, nothing the like the siren she plays in 'Wild Things'. She's very warm, funny, loves her dogs and never complains. Denise had some of the hardest stuff in the movie to do physically, but she never complained. I'd love to work with her again.
The sweetest, nicest, most easy to get along with professional girl, nothing the like the siren she plays in 'Wild Things'. She's very warm, funny, loves her dogs and never complains.

And your favourite Death scene in Valentine?
Ahh, so many to choose from (laughs), the Jacuzzi sequence, in the directors cut it went on for another 40 seconds. It's always been a favouroite scene.

Where do you draw inspiration, from?
At the moment I'm not borrowing or consciously being inspired by other filmmakers. I try and do my own thing and I try and surprise myself and work very much in the moment?

Do you expect a different reaction from Australian audiences, compared with American audiences?
I don't know. The Australian audiences really enjoyed my last film (urban Legends). The L.A audiences particularly, are very critical of the current wave of slasher inspired films.
It's wonderful when you see critics who understand and got what you were trying to do and review your movie at a level that's appropriate and relevant.

What were some significant differences between Urban Legends and Valentine, as far as your directing approach?
Okay, well I didn't have the nerves that I did on my first film. Because I had never done it before, the pressure was immense. I just kept thinking that I was going to wake up one day, get a tap on my shoulder and be told I was fired (laughs)."

Are you currently working on another film?
I can't be too specific at the moment, but I am working on horror related stuff just not a 'slasher' - three in a row, may be a mistake.

Do you have a lot of nightmares?
No, no never, the only nightmares I have are about producers telling me I've got three more shots to get in, when I've only got half an hour! Things like that, but nothing to do with the content of my movies. I exorcise all my demons during the day (laughs).





- Kellee Cruse



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