Brad Sykes has since written and directed over twenty feature films, including the first digital 3D horror movie, Camp Blood. You may know him from the sequels to that film or his movies Plaguers, Hi-Death and so many more. He also made Hi-8: Horror Independent Eight, a horror anthology called “The Expendables of SOV Horror” by HorrorHound.

His latest release is his first movie, as Visual Vengeance is releasing Scream Queen, a movie he shot on video as his first feature. Lost for some time, it’s exciting to get to see it finally — check out the review — and now, I got the great opportunity to chat with Brad about his career.

B&S About Movies: How did your career get started?

Brad Sykes: My professional writing and directing career got started with Scream Queen, which I wrote and directed in early 1998. Before that, I made dozens of shorts and eight features on Hi-8 video during high school before going to film school at Boston University, where I kept making features during summer breaks.  After graduation, I moved to L.A. and worked in production on various movies.  It was on one of these films that I met the producer who offered to finance Scream Queen.

B&S: What are your memories of the original Camp Blood films?

Brad: Camp Blood was the third movie I directed, but the first to get released.  The biggest challenge on that film was the 3D technology we had to use.  There was a big learning curve involved and it posed restrictions on how we could shoot things.  I wanted to make a slasher film like the ones from the ‘80s that I had always enjoyed, with a few twists.  It was a short shoot, with some challenges for sure with shooting outdoors with inclement weather, but we had fun, too.  

I never thought we would make a sequel, but we did the following year based on the first film’s success in foreign territories (it was especially popular in the UK for some reason).  For Camp Blood 2, I went in a more comedic/satirical direction, like I had for Scream Queen.  Both films are essentially satires of the movie business using my experiences I had up till that point.  I didn’t have as good a time making the movie, but the FX came out great and we had a professional stuntman playing the Clown, which made things easier.  

Camp Blood 3, which was later retitled Within the Woods by the distributor, was made a few years later and was the first film produced by my wife Josephina and I’s production company, Nightfall Pictures. So, there was a lot of pressure to deliver a good movie for our first time out.  Again, I used the slasher genre to satirize the entertainment world, in this case reality TV which was getting big at the time (and has gotten bigger since).  Very ambitious film for its budget but I loved the cast and the DP did a wonderful job.  I like all three Camp Bloods for different reasons, and the fans seem to feel the same way, everybody has their favorite.  

B&S: Why has Scream Queen gone unseen for so long?

Brad: Good question!  It’s been completed since 2001 or 2002, but no one ever stepped up to the plate to really release it.  There have been a few false starts over the years.  In 2012, I was asked to produce extras for a DVD release that ended up falling through when the distributor went bankrupt.  It wasn’t until 2020, when Visual Vengeance obtained the rights and contacted me, that things started moving forward again.  It still took 3 years for it to finally come out, but Scream Queen is now on blu ray, 25 years after we filmed it.  

B&S: What does it feel like to have a new audience having the opportunity to see it?

Brad: I’m thrilled that Scream Queen is finally out there for people to enjoy.  It’s my first ‘Hollywood’ movie, and I had a great time working with Linnea, so it was always be special to me, and it was disappointing that it was buried for all these years.  

The horror genre and physical media have definitely undergone a lot of changes since we made the movie, but in ways that I think benefit the film.  Recently, I think fans are starting to appreciate ‘SOV’ movies way more than they did in the 90s and 2000s, so there’s a new audience for it, in a way.  And of course, there are fans of Linnea who have been wanting to see this movie for a long time.  I think the movie is unique and was ahead of its time so doesn’t feel particularly dated.  And this Blu-ray has a lot of extras, which help really tell the story of how Scream Queen came to be, and why it’s taken so long for it to reach audiences.  

B&S: What film do you think you’re best known for?

Brad: Probably Camp Blood.  I’ve heard from more people about that one than any of the other 20+ movies I’ve directed.  I will say, though, that there are a lot of Death Factory fans out there, and Goth has a very loyal fan base.  A superfan of the movie put on a 20th anniversary screening this year in Beverly Hills and a theater in NYC played it multiple times, as well.  

My sci-fi/horror movie Plaguers is my biggest movie and a lot of people have seen and enjoyed that one, too.  

B&S: If you had to choose one to represent you, which is it and why?

Brad: My most personal film is none of those I just mentioned.  It’s a desert/road thriller called Mad Jack, which is very obscure and in need of rediscovery and maybe, a re-release in the future?  Nowadays, anything is possible.

B&S: What movies have influenced you? 

Brad: Starting out as a teenager with a Hi-8 camera, I would point to Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson and George Romero.  I’m still a huge Romero fan and Italian horror of the 70s/80s has always been a major influence on my work.  Outside of the horror genre, I’m a fan of William Friedkin, Paul Schrader, Michael Mann, Roman Polanski, Walter Hill, many more.

When I sit down to write a script or create shot lists, I try not to be influenced too much by anyone’s themes or visual style, though.  My goal is to be as original as possible and create a new style for each project.  

B&S: What’s next?

Brad: 2023 has been a big year with a lot of projects I’ve worked on for years, some dating to before the pandemic, finally getting released. Currently I am promoting my new book Neon Nightmares: L.A. Thrillers of the 1980s (available from BearManor Media, Amazon, B&N, etc.) and my new anthology movie Hi-Fear, which is on DVD and can be streamed on Itunes, Amazon Video, etc.  These both just came out a few months ago.  Josephina and I are also producing special features for other upcoming Visual Vengeance releases of my films.  And I have a new movie I plan on shooting next year.  So, plenty going on around here right now!

Thanks so much!