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| By any
means necessary: Matt Mitler - interview by Toby Osborne.  "By hook, by pick, by axe,
bye-bye" - it's tag-lines like this that keep video stores in business.
However, when Matthew Mitler first signed on to a low-budget slash 'em up
exploitation movie called 'The Mutilator,' he never could have conceived that,
decades later, college kids around the world would fall in love with the gory
cult classic all over again.
 The 'Mutilator' star talks exclusively about turning down 'Troma', gambling everything on his directorial debut and being involved with some of the strangest movies you could ever imagine... As a fan of the bizarre video tapes of the laughable-horror variety (i.e.: so gruesome that they're funny), I discovered a 1983 film called  'The Mutilator' with relative ease. Depending
on which version you find (an uncut version is available if you search hard
enough), the box cover jumps right out at you: teenagers being hung on hooks a
la 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre.'  But, as always, with
these types of low-budget gore-fests, there is little room for character
development but plenty for inventive and violent deaths at the hands of some
invincible psychopath. This sort of leave-your-brain-at-the-door mentality
often guarantees an audience - one that hasn't overlooked many of Matt Mitler's
finest works. Matt first got into the entertainment biz as a budding artist although his interest stemmed from much earlier experiences. "I was on a live radio morning show with my mother from the time I could talk until about 6 years old. She has a wicked sense of humour, and used to read 'Mad' Magazine and listen to Lenny Bruce LP's. I memorized Lenny routines and recited them verbatim at my parents' cocktail parties. Then, later on, I wanted to be an astronaut." Despite this brief lapse in ambition to become a star, he "showed an aptitude for Fine Art and that became my medium all the way into High School. It was Fine Art that led me to filmmaking. Some of my fellow art students were also involved in theatre and, at their insistence; I ended up auditioning for a school play and stuck with it. I was a horrible actor," Matt concedes. "But sincere, and had some talent with improvisation. I still didn't look at theatre or film as anything serious and had become quite dedicated to a study of Humanistic Psychology and psychotherapy. That study led me back to theatre, and I've been bouncing back and forth between psych, theatre, and film ever since." Then he had what you could consider his 'big break' - a lead role in a motion picture. "I had been living  in NYC for less than a year,
after four years of living in Europe. I had a great job teaching acting at a
High School for the Arts - me with no degree and a criminal record!" This was
when he saw a notice in 'Back Stage' - "the horrid trade paper here" - for
parts in a flick that would eventually become known as 'The Mutilator.'
"So, I went to the audition and I took it very seriously. I had one of the 'dramatic' scenes at the end of the film and was reading with Buddy Cooper (the director) and Ben Moore (the 'guest star'). I emoted and who knows what, and I got a call back." The rest, as they say, is history. "I got a call some days later from North Carolina, and it was Buddy offering me the lead role of 'Ed.' He said that I topped everyone and that they were looking for someone who would match his son (who played the part of 'Young Ed' in a flashback), but they'd dye the kid's hair to match mine (which never did match), because they wanted me. I flipped. I was so excited. Starring in a film, shooting on location, and getting paid! I did 15 or so films since and never, ever felt this way again." "The shoot was wild; we were celebrities from the get-go in this small town on an island in North Carolina. We couldn't get away if we wanted to!" Matt also made some long lasting relationships while filming. "The only other 'New York Actor,' Frances Raines ('Bad Girls Dormitory'), and I became particularly close, and I met the future cinematographer for my own feature, 'Cracking Up,' Mark Traver. He started off as a still photographer on 'Mutilator' and, when we went over schedule, moved up to 2nd Assistant D.P., and then to 1st Assistant D.P. He remains one of my dearest friends some 25 years later."  Despite the graphic violence in the film,
off set the cast knew how to unwind. "We partied most evenings, which helped
the sense of camaraderie on set, and pulled a number of pranks - such as hiding
Ben Moore's dummy head (a prop from a grisly decapitation scene) in people's
rooms at various times. Ben started out as if he was the experienced 'Sage'
and, by the end; we were pretty merciless with him." A movie about a young guy who brings his buddies to a secluded beach cabin for Fall Break (the original title) with disastrous effects was never going to be as complex as rocket science. Throw in a mad dad, crazy as it is the anniversary of his wife's death (at the hands of Ed - Mitler - who was innocently cleaning one of daddy's guns at the time when it accidentally fired, killing mom) and you know that you've got a good excuse for the slaughter of over-sexed college kids. Obviously not Oscar material... Still, "I wasn't sure of the script," Matt declared. "I liked my part - it was big - but as we shot it, the holes became magnified and it didn't seem to work. Buddy was adamant and passionate and I just followed him. Yet, in the end, I felt that all the things that bothered me about the story and script were actually the shortcomings of the film." Nevertheless, 'The Mutilator' never failed to deliver exactly what the cinema-going public paid for - a claim that not many Hollywood blockbusters could live up to. It "played for longer here in NYC that any other film at the time. 42nd Street still showed horror triple features and, after leaving the big houses - Broadway... etc. - the film settled onto the 'Deuce' to SRO crowds. Cast and crew journeyed up from North Carolina to see it and we all had a great time. They let me into the theatres for free, saying 'Hey, you're that guy in the film,' and I'd show up for the last thirty or so minutes and cheer along with the crowd, 'Ki' him! Ki' dat white boy, now!'" The script may have had its shortcomings but "at least I was able to doctor my own text and some for my fellow cast mates'. And I've done that on every film since." Mitler realized early on in his career that "if I wanted performances and the process to be a certain way, I would have to direct and/or produce myself." This sentiment would later lead to his directorial debut 'Cracking Up' - a step away from the horrors ('Deadtime Stories,' 'Breeders,' 'Basket Case 2') that make up the bulk of his impressive filmography. "I loved horror films before but, after 'Mutilator' they were sort of ruined for me," Matt admits. "To some extent this is simply because my taste matured and my critical faculties became more acute. There are certainly horror films still being made that I appreciate - but not many. After witnessing the sexual degradation of women first hand, on set, I can no longer be aroused in the way I once was by seeing such films. And ever since, I've fought for some semblance of equality and consciousness." He recalls one of his experiences on the set of 'Mutilator', which was ripe with the kind of sexually explicit scenes that budget-slasher watchers have come to expect. "I actually had the whole shooting crew get in the pool with Frances for her nude swimming/drowning scene. The pool was freezing cold and I knew that they'd keep shooting until she got sick if they weren't suffering it themselves.  "I have no problem with female nudity, or violence, but the combination of the two presents a very real ethical dilemma. Some of the women on the crew, whom I had the utmost respect for, became physically ill while watching the famous gaff scene with Connie (Rogers). Seeing this through their eyes had a profound effect on me. Those of us who create for a public audience should make all efforts to be responsible for the effects of our creations. "When I made 'Cracking Up', I decided to make a subtle comment about gratuitous nudity by jumping around naked myself a number of times." 'Basketcase 2' (1990), like 'Mutilator,' enjoyed a minor cult success. "Unfortunately, the success you speak of only affected a small number of people," Matt said. "Myself, not included." Well, surely, he felt like he got the short straw: his character's name was Arty and there were other names like 'Worm Man', 'Mouse Face', 'Platehead', 'Man with 37 Noses'... 'Arty' seems rather plain in comparison. "I had no problem with the name and am more than happy to leave the facial prosthetics to some other actor - I even turned down playing the lead, 'Chud'. My major complaint was director Frank Hennenlotter ('Frankenhooker,' 'Brain Damage') not letting me wear my own wardrobe! I wanted to have on my 'Malcolm X' T-shirt - with him holding a machine gun and the tag, 'By any means necessary'. I did wear it in 'Cracking Up' though. Also, it was my idea to laugh as the creatures come to kill me and I lobbied to do my own stunts." Of course, producing must have differed greatly from his prior in-front-of-the-camera antics. Matt produced the cult hit 'Thrill Kill Video Club' (1991) about a bunch of bored serial killers who meet up to make snuff movies. "'Thrill Kill' was part of 'The Movie of the Month Club.' My High School buddy, Robert Prichard (also a B actor, 'Class of Nuke 'em High,' 'The Toxic Avenger') and I wanted to practice making features, so we gathered some improvisational friends together and started this club. The premise was that we would make a movie (on video), using an outline of scenes, and shoot in one day with no rehearsal, in sequence. We made about 6 or 7 over the course of a couple of years. It was excellent practice and they are available to rent at 'Kim's Video' in the East Village and by mail through Robert. I directed the first few, 'Kid Scarface', 'Dick and Jane Drop Acid and Die', 'I Was a Teenage Bride of Christ' (also playing Christ), and produced a few including Robert's 'Thrill Kill' (featuring Sylvester 'Doctor Who' McCoy). "Sylvester was a friend of someone's and was in town and made a guest appearance. He was very nice and played spoons if I remember correctly." A pattern emerges if you follow Mitler's career for any length of time - controversy. 'Thrill Kill' gained notoriety with its themes of snuff filmmaking and serial killers, and 'Mutilator' suffered for years at the hands of censors who probably found irony in hacking to pieces a slasher pic. "Controversy is wonderful as long as it serves a higher purpose. Even destruction can serve the higher. Our creative efforts must appeal to the higher in ourselves, only then can an appeal be made to the higher in our audiences." However, Matt feels those who cry out against violence in 'video nasties' are wasting their time. "Education, and setting an example are two ways that can actually (make a difference). But, don't get me started on esoteric principles; it's a whole different interview..." His experience with The Movie of the Month Club and his roles in numerous features prepared him for his biggest achievement - the acclaimed film 'Cracking Up' (1994). This was also his biggest gamble. Matt put "all my eggs in one basket. I gambled my money - money from friends and family - and years of my life for a project that I believed would put me on the map and make me a player. At the same time, I knew that there were certain elements that would limit the film's popularity, and I wasn't willing to change them. The main thing for me was that I made the film I wanted to make. A film that would change me in the making of it as I wrestled with some very serious questions about sanity, madness, the addictive nature of performing and the industry's - and audience's - complicity in that addiction. And that is what I did, and I am a better filmmaker and a better person for it. And if I never get to direct another feature, I'm proud enough of 'Cracking Up', and it has made a difference in my life."  After directing,
other opportunities have come his way. Yet, there's nothing controversial about
'Pokemon' - the Japanese cartoon series that became a fad a while back -
possibly the anti-thesis of Mitler's previous work. But, since when has Matt
ever followed the expected route? "It's fun only because you don't have to shave. I thought it was all pretty stupid when I started, then suddenly the craze began. I've been doing character voices all along, I also do impressions. I've done dubbing, too, which is a similar process. Matching the 'flaps' or mouth movements on the Japanese animations is not so easy. When Tom Hanks does the voice for a character, they start with him and animate later." Out of interest, you may be wondering who is Matt's favourite Pokemon character? "Sorry, I don't care enough to know their names." Matt's "doing voices for Monkey Salad's deranged cartoon series called, 'Bad Clown' too," which sounds a little more true to form, one may think. "All in all, I have the most fun directing, or playing harmonica with a band called 'Norman.' "For the record, I manage to get some harmonica playing in on 'Battle for the Lost Planet' and 'Mutant Wars', its sequel. Both films were directed by Brett Piper ('A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell') and were the best experiences I've ever had with a director." He's also "done a number of cameo appearances in films lately and haven't even seen some of them. There are even films I played principal roles in which I haven't seen, like 'The Occultist' - formerly titled 'Waldo Warren: Private Dick without a Brain.' I've even done three Indian films shot here in New York. The most fun one was playing an Indian grocery clerk. I was coached in Hindi and fooled the native actors!" His real passion now though is Dzieci (http://dzieci.home.mindspring.com) a theatre group that he founded five years ago in New York City. "Basically, I've kept a constant interest up in theatre and service, (work in hospitals... etc.) as a process of personal growth. Dzieci represents the culmination of many years of research and experience in these related endeavours. "I am no Mother Theresa, but do have an active interest in helping people, and this is my way." Mitler has no current plans to return to the types of movies that started his career. If, for instance, someone begged him to appear in 'Mutilator: The Next Generation,' it is likely that he'd turn it down. "I actually started turning down work as soon as my film career began. Twice I said 'No' to Troma (makers of B movie schlock like 'Toxic Avenger' and 'Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.'). Part of this was an avoidance of working with despicable people. At a certain point, my own projects took priority, but then, after 'Cracking Up', I just needed to make money. Unfortunately, I don't get the calls like I used to. Most of the films I did, I was contacted directly for and sometimes didn't even have to audition. Right now, though, I'm making no plans to return anywhere, but I'm certainly not going to turn down a good offer if the conditions are right." Amazingly, many of Matt's friends from Dzieci aren't even aware of his... past. But, he's not ashamed of his early career choices. "Did you know that before any film roles, I had been published in the journal, 'New Directions in Psychotherapy'? We are complex beings, we humans. Sometimes people do an internet search on me and start asking questions... It all just seems like so many lifetimes ago."  Dzieci will be performing Off-Broadway next January (2003) for a three week run at LaMama Theatre with an adaptation of Aldous Huxley's 'The Devils of Loudun' - a true story about the mass psychosis of a group of nuns in 17th century France who believed they were possessed by The Devil. Expect scenes of medieval torture alongside the bawdy, comic and burlesque; perfectly in keeping with Mitler's 'controversial' style. 'The Mutilator UNCUT' is available on DVD in the UK. 'Basketcase 2' is available on VHS in the US and UK; and also on DVD in the UK. Find more Mitler movies at your local video rental and for sale second-hand on Amazon.com. Toby Osborne. 2002 |
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