Dead Serious with Rob Fox

A while back I had the pleasure of catching up with a good friend of mine, Author and Screen Play Writer, Rob Fox. Recently he has been on the promotion trail of a film he is involved with known as Ace the Zombie. I was curious about it, so I sat down chat about it. I wish I could have made it to the showing at Days od the Dead II: Atlanta…Fate, however, did not allow that…I will get to that later. Anyway, let’s catch up with Mr. “Z Day is Here” Rob Fox. Put on your favorite furry costume and play some Samantha Fox. This is…

Dead Serious with Rob Fox

Malice Psychotik: So it’s been a while since you were last on here…Hell it’s been a year…whats new?

Rob Fox: Mainly writing.  Though that is not my full-time job, it takes up quite a bit of my spare time.  Seems like I always have something going on writing-wise.  I am taking a small break from the convention scene this year and will only do one or two, since last year kicked my ass!  Currently I am writing a Serial Killer script for a couple of producers and hope to start filming early 2012.  I have a cartoon I am trying to pitch to the large networks, and a script about self cannibalism  that I am trying to sell to a producer.  Novel –wise, I am working on a Cryptozoology anthology with an author friend of mine (Alisha Sams), and as always, still banging away on “Z Day 2”.

Malice: How’s the writing been going?

Fox: The writing has been fantastic!  I have almost completely switched from short story/ novel-writing to screenplay writing.  I like the style much better and really enjoy seeing my words spoken through characters on the screen.

Malice: Well, I’ve heard a little bit about Ace the Zombie. Care to tell us a bit about it?

Fox: I would love to.  It has been many years since the first zombie outbreaks and the World Health Organization has introduced a “miracle” drug called Zom-Calm. While not exactly a cure, it curbs the undead appetite for living flesh, and zombies now occupy almost twenty percent of the national work force. Allen Christopher Edwards, Ace to his friends, is a great guy but a total pushover. Everyone takes advantage of him from his boss and coworkers to his girlfriend Brenda. He gains new-found confidence when he is bitten and becomes a zombie. But Keeper Ellis, head of the Zombie Control Force has a secret plan to destroy all zombies. Ace must now fight for the lives of all Undead Americans as he matches wits with the evil Keeper Ellis. That is the official synopsis.  So a little more about it… Ace the Zombie was my first attempt to write a screenplay. I was asked to assist a couple of guys that had started it but were running into some issues.  I stepped in and rewrote it from the ground up.  Everyone contributed a little and I think the script turned out really good.  This is a zom-com, and there is a good mix of horror and comedy.  My humor tends to be a little more on the darker side, but there is a few really good laugh out loud moments.

Malice: What sort of things inspired you while writing “Ace”?

Fox: Honestly, I took most of the ideas from the other writers Rey and Pat.  They had a pretty solid  story-line, so I just expanded on what I thought they would want.  I worked very closely with the director (Giles Sheppard).  With it being my first, I really wanted to make sure I got his vision. There were a couple of scenes that I wrote from scratch though. One of which involves a concert at a bar.  I don’t want to give anything away, but the scene is intense and switches from a nice calming moment back to death and destruction then back to calm.  The scene was complicated and I think the director did a great job shooting it.  As for inspiration, I tried to stay away from the normal zombies, so I really didn’t watch anything zombie related, so I guess I used my imagination.

Malice: So I also hear “Z Day” is going to have a shot at the grand celluloid fasion…I know there’s not much you can say, but can you give is a little bit?

Fox: Sadly, I can not give any details as of right now.  I am not allowed to give out anything.  Other than it will be based on the book and as of right now I am writing the script.

Malice: Whats the main difference between Ace the Zombie and “Z day”?

Fox: Night and Day.  Ace is a comedy with some zombies.  “Z Day” is all about zombies with a little comedy sprinkled in.

Malice: I have to ask, your claim to fame (Beyond the Llama Shows) is…well Zombie’s! Why Zombie’s?

Fox: I don’t know.  I really don’t know.  I think it just happened that way because at the time, the publisher was only publishing zombie stuff and in order to get stuff published, I had to write zombie stuff.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love me some zombies, but as for writing, that was kind of the way I was pushed.

Malice: I know you mentioned last year you had a children’s book in the making (People is you knew the man I do…you’d be afraid!) How’s that going?

Fox: I have actually written two kids stories.  One is a nice, cute, non-horror story and the other is a zombie kids story.  Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I know, zombies and kids stories don’t sound like they should go together, but the story works and is 100% made for kids.  Both stories are being shopped around at the moment.  I really hope they can see the light of day this year.

Malice: Back to “Z Day,” if you could fantasy cast roles for it…who would you cast?

Fox: I have done a lot of thinking about this.  For a few of the characters, I have an idea:

For the main character – Henry Ian Cusick

Darcy – Zooey Deschanel

Tonya – Laurie Holden

Alisha – Anna Torv

Jeremiah – Kevin Durand

Cole – Ryan Lee (the blond kid from Super 8)

Mego – Queen Latifah (As I was writing it, I kept thinking about her in that role, even though it was written after a great friend of mine Denna!)

Malice – Benicio Del Toro (Editor’s Note: I would have said Ryan Reynolds…but I’ll take that as well!)

Malice: Have you ever thought of writing a Drama/Chick Flick?

Fox: I am actually about ¼ way through writing a drama/chick flick right now.  It will be a tear-jerker.  Not the kind of movie I would want to watch, but I had a dream one night and I woke up in a cold sweat, knowing I had to tell the story.  It spans many years and explores one mans regrets in life.

Malice: Let’s say we are going to star in the next The Hangover movie. You have You and Me….who would be the other 2…and who’s roles would take place of which between Doug, Phil, Alan, and Stu?

Fox: I would like to think of myself as Phil, but then who wouldn’t?  (man crush!). I think I would be more like Stu though.  You would be Doug.  For the other two, I don’t really know.  That is a very difficult thing to cast though, because the current cast is so good.  (Editor’s Note: Even though I would love to say I would be like Alan or Phil…Doug is probably right. Being Alan would really depend on how much liquor is involved!)

Malice: What is one of the craziest things you have ever done for cash?

Fox: Luckily I have always had a job, so I haven’t really had to pimp myself out (yet).  I did run through an apartment complex naked one time for comic value though, does that count?  (Editor’s Note: Sure….I’ll give it to ya’….)

Malice: How cool would it be to have a cryptozoological fight night? Which do you think would be better The Yeti vs. Sasquatch or The Jersey Devil vs. Chupacabra…or do you have a suggestion?

Fox: I am really just starting to get into cryptozoology.  I am a hardcore skeptic, a show me the proof kind of guy, so it has been difficult for me to wrap my brain around some of these creatures.  I would like to see a Yeti vs. Mongolian Death Worm.  I think that would be pretty cool.

Well Darlings, that will be all for now! Be sure to keep an eye out for my next interview with Emerging Past‘s Krista Grotte. Also, be sure to keep a weathered eye to the horizon for more from Rob Fox. You may find yourself at one of his movies soon…you never know!

Until Next Time, My Freaky Darlings,

Malice Psychotik