Made in SA: Film Classics ProductionsMade in SA: Film Classics Productions

Dr. "S" Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies Poster

Your best chance to see Doctor “S” Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies on the big screen is Saturday, August 29, at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes as part of the San Antonio Horrific Film Fest. Movies are showing continuously from noon until midnight, with Dr. “S” hitting the screen at 7:30. This movie is the work of the crew at Film Classics Productions. In advance of Saturday night’s screening we put the questions to writer/director Bryan Ortiz and writer James Hartz to find out what’s behind the zombies.

Doctor ”S” is a crazy blood-soaked romp. What was the inspiration for this project?

Bryan: My love of exploitation films of the 30′s -70′s and the horror films of the 80′s. The movie is a mash-up of all those genres in an iconic surrealist world. It’s blend of genres which we call Action Camp.
James: Yeah, we are the remix of horror, comedy, and the MST3K B-movie.

You’ve shown Doctor ”S” at several film festivals. What kind of reception have you gotten?

Bryan: An extremely surprised, excited, and positive response. Most audiences have a good time. They’re all very supportive and have a lot of laughs.
James: People seem to be really surprised by how much the end up loving it, which is great for us.

A movie like Doctor ”S” is clearly a labor of love, but I cannot imagine it pays the bills (yet). What does Film Classics Productions do, together or individually, to keep the cameras rolling for the kinds of projects you enjoy doing?

James: We whore ourselves out…j/k.
Bryan: We survive purely on the graciousness of individuals.
James: We’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.
Bryan: People giving us their loyalty, time, energy, and general excitement. People like us and what we do, so they want to work with us. And we’re damn handsome men.
James: We chop down trees of ugliness.

You went to the Cannes Film Festival this year showing your short film Four Minutes Till The End. What kind of reception did you get?

Bryan: Audiences were on the edge of there seats during screening. They were excited and surprised to see something like that come out of San Antonio. They were left breathless.

You recently competed in the San Antonio 48 Hour Film Project. What were your impressions of the event and the San Antonio film scene in general?

Bryan: The 48 Hour Film Project is a challenging experience. the San Antonio Film Community is up of made very supportive individuals, but is like a family. We bicker but mostly love each other. People are always willing to lend a hand.
James: I think everyone wants to help make San Antonio a place known for producing quality films.

Are these sorts of tight-turnaround competitions useful to you as a filmmaking exercise or is it just cine-candy or something else entirely?

Bryan: Yes, it is definitely a useful exercise. It allows us to hone our skills. We get meet new people, actors, and crew. It gives us a chance to compete and strive to be better filmmakers.
James: It a very useful exercise because it condenses the filmmaking experience down to two days. It forces you to make tough quick decisions. You can’t second guess yourself. The competition part of it is wonderful because it brings everyone together and they have to show what they got.

What kind of support do you get from the community in San Antonio?

Dr. "S" at Cinesol Poster

Bryan: All kinds of support from all kinds of people. From the emerging actor to SA Film Commissioner Drew Mayer-Oakes. People are always willing to pick up the phone and and willing to help in any way possible.
James: The biggest reason why our local film community is expanding so quickly is because of the high quality people involved.

You both graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. How was their program?

Bryan: I majored in Theatre with a Video Production minor.
James: I majored in Theatre there and the program is one of the best around.

What or who inspired you the most there?

Bryan: Professor Dora Fitzgerald. She inspired me to commit to my dream and see it all the way through. She taught me to look at the world very differently and, in turn, help make films in my own way.
James: Dr. Doug Gilmour who encouraged everyone to have a sense of wonder and therefore enthusiasm for the world.

Would you recommend the UIW program to other aspiring filmmakers?

Bryan: Yes, because small environment teachers have the time to give you more attention which allows you to explore yourself as filmmaker.
James: The theatre program there is great because you learn all aspects of putting on a show. You will be an actor, running crew member, techies, and all things in between.

Who would you cite as your biggest filmmaking influences?

Bryan: Sam Raimi, Steve Sodenberg, early Gerorge Lucas, and Edgar Wright.
James: Sam Raimi, Steven Spielberg, early George Lucas.

What films did you see as a kid that made you say, “Hey, I wanna do that!”?

James: ET and Jaws had really profound effects on me. Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
Bryan: As a kid, Ghostbusters directly lead to me making movies. Evil Dead 2 blew my mind.

With Doctor ”S” making the rounds, what’s your next big project?

Bryan: Myself and my creative team are bouncing off ideas. We had a lot fun with Dr. S. We would love to create another over-the-top huge character like Dr. S.
James: Whatever we end up doing next, I can guarantee you it won’t be like anything else out there.

There are lots of places you could be working, why San Antonio? What makes you want to create films in South Texas?

James: We live here, for one. South Texas has wealth of resources available for filmmaking that probably go unnoticed by the nation at large. We have a wide range of people and businesses willing to commit themselves to making a movie. There are great locations, from dense forests to wide plains and deserts. It truly is a wonderful place to film.
Bryan: The people. San Antonio has a wonderful back drop and the people that make me want to be here.

What’s the one thing in San Antonio that you could not live without?

James: The kolaches form Joseph’s Bakery.
Bryan: Whataburger

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There are two more screenings of Dr. S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies coming up. On Sept. 12th in the valley for the Cinesol Film Festival and Sept. 26th for the Chicago Film Festival. For more on Film Classics please go to www.filmclassicsproductions.com. For more on Dr. S please go to www.doctorsthemovie.com.