Sick. Insane. Nauseating. Light. Beautiful. Intriguing.
All six of these adjectives have been used to describe Joe Castro?s latest slasher film, ?The Summer of Massacre.? But who is the man behind the movie? After viewing the gruesome trailer for the film, I felt compelled to understand what could possess someone to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for most kills in one movie. To put it simply, the driving force behind this film is art.
Joe Castro hails from Heloges, Texas. Raised on a large property, Joe made all of his toys, and was not allowed to watch television. One day in 1977, Joe?s life forever. His father, a hard working goat farmer, allowed him to watch Godzilla vs. Smog Monster and that is when the realization came that he loved horror, monsters, and special effects. He knew at a young age that a career in special effects would make him happy. Joe says that his major influences stem not only from directors like Herschel Gordon Lewis, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg, but also from the writings of Stephen King. However, he doesn?t describe himself as a horror filmmaker. Castro describes himself as an artist, ?I make movies,? he says.
?The Summer of Massacre? came about as an anthology of slasher films. Castro wants to get as much work done before he dies, a common theme in the film as well. Because today?s audience has such a short attention span, Castro wanted to make the slasher movie of all slasher movies. In fact, this film has the most kills than any other horror film, pending with the Guinness Book of World Records. While most of the gore is practical, large portions of the effects are computer generated. Castro says that this film?s gore is no different from a video game, but it is not for those who have a weak stomach. While Castro understands that this film isn?t for everyone, he mentioned that if any one of us were put in the same position as the killers in the film, we would do the same.
As a director, Joe Castro has paved the way for horror films to come. Now that he has completed ?The Summer of Massacre,? Castro wants to move into different genres. In his next film, he hopes to bridge the gap between the old and the new. He also would like to direct someone else?s work, to help another person?s dreams come to fruition.
?The Summer of Massacre? is a film that takes an intense slasher film and turns it into a beautiful, flamboyant work of art. Castro truly put his heart and soul into this movie, and the emotion is evident even in the trailer. If Castro?s future films are as passionate as ?The Summer of Massacre,? his career has no end in sight.
www.thesummerofmassacre.com
