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Four filmakers embarked on a mission four years ago. This year they have returned with their bounty. A film made for a budget that would make small budgeted films look big budget. $7000 US later we get a film with a run time of 89 mins called, The Dividing Hour.   First day of shooting prime time video Oregon The phone rings inside, the ownerof the shop picks up the phone. He becomes tense and says "Everyone listen up! we're surrounded by police they have their guns drawn." The realism of the shoot had fooled the local police. That was back in the middle of 1994.  After each of the filmmakers walked out of that prime time video store with their hands on their heads. They knew they were on a good thing. Recently they were at the "Fangoria Weekend of Horrors" and have gotten positive feedbakc from genre gods Bruce Campbell and Reggie Bannister. Lookout for an article on the film in FANGORIA's 20th anniversary issue. Until than wet your appettite on this. What exactly is "The Dividing Hour"? It's the story of four bankrobbers: Peter (Brad Goodman), Dean (Greg James), Josh (Mike Prosser) and Zack (Brian Prosser). Robbing the bank is the beginning of their adventure and it doesn't look like the cops will get them. But perhaps something else will. OFFICIAL SITE INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR of THE DIVIDING HOUR MIKE PROSSER       This is an EMAIL interview with the Writer/Producer/Director/Editor/Art Director/Storyboard Artist/Title Design/Sculptor/Painter/Public Relations/Marketing guy from the film "The Dividing Hour". But for timesake we'll call him MIKE. GORE BOY: The Budget for "The Dividing Hour" is $7000 US. As the director, how much of your creative image did you have to leave out of the final product?? MIKE:With a $7000 dollar budget one would think we had to compromise greatly...and in fact the movie is only about 60% there for me. The compromises weren't really due to money. It was our first feature length project and inexperience compromised us more than the budget. Knowing what we know now, the movie could and would have been completed in less time and cost us even less money. The chaos also cost me the ending that I truely wished to convey. Although, in the end, the audience still jumps in all the right places, so I can't complain too much. We did the best we could with what we knew and what we could get our hands on as far as resources and cash. Some scenes fell by the wayside. A few of them might have been cool, but we just didn't have the knowledge or time or money to pull them off. Luckily they were completely secondary to the storyline.   GB: I just watched the scene called, "The Dividing Hour Strikes" and found something of a passing resemblance to Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films. Is Raimi a major influence on your directing style?? MIKE: There are a few light Sam Raimi influences on the film both in the writing and directing. The clock is one and the old house, a favorite of many a horror flick, is the other. I am a great fan of Mister Raimi and certainly have more respect for his abilities after seeing A SIMPLE PLAN, one of my personal favorites from the past year. I truely hope he never completely abandons his over-the-top style though. I also greatly admire David Cronenburg's ability to give you those sterile, scientific heebee-jeebees. Clive Barker's horror-erotic sensibilities, John Carpenter's steady tempos of suspense in his earlier work, and oddly enough, the kind, fun-loving nature of Jim Henson are all influences on my creative process. They're all there in my film, filtered through my own personality.   GB: Were there days when you just wanted to throw in the towel and give up? (A film like this must be stressful) MIKE: There were indeed days when I would think most directors want to give up. There is so many people (egos) and things to keep track of. As a director/producer, my strengths lie in motivating people to put forth great effort with little tangible reward. I'm just happy that the movie turned out as well as it did, which is a miracle when you consider the police showed up thinking our bank robbery was real, guns pulled, and the fire department arriving on set when we staged the car wreck. Concerned citizens are very good about calling for help, but did they check to see if there was actually anyone hurt?...No. Nobody hates me when all is said and done. I can't say I ever truely wanted to give up...take a nice long break, yes, but not give up. Too many filmmakers out there start a project and let it get out of hand and it goes to hell, or they just didn't have the passion that one needs to sustain their energy to see it through. I was very lucky to have Jeff Yarnall(co-producer/cinematographer), Greg James(actor/co-producer), and David Walker(co-writer/co-producer) at my side to help end encourage me to see it to completion. Although, I think everyone at one time or another HAD given up and then picked up steam once again.   GB: Dean's Monologue is one of the most amazing scenes I have had the ability to watch. Where did the writing of that scene come from, how fun was it to write and direct?? MIKE: "Dean's monologue" was a fantastic bit of dialogue which my writing partner David Walker wrote. He is a genius at off kilter tirades (Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Karma/and the theme of the film all wrapped into one). Greg James' performance was fantastic. I just told Jeff Yarnall (cinematographer) that I wanted the camera to get loopier and loopier as the monologue progressed to externalize the effects of his joint that he's smoking. I think I gave Greg one note during that hole scene. Editting the monologue was heart wrenching. The initial cut of his one sided conversation with the unflinching Max Yoakum was about 9 minutes...waaay too long. I managed to get it down to 5 minutes. It's tuff cutting a monologue. You can't always cut at an ideal line. You have to follow the actors lead and cut from emotion to emotion. It was probably the best bit of teamwork on the project.   GB: Special FX in a film with a budget of $7000 struck me as amazing. The FX used in the scene's that I have watched have barrelled me over. Would you have done the film if you did not have the FX team behind you? MIKE: The FX of the film were a struggle to get done. We had other FX guys lined up to do some CGI work and they sort of dropped out to take paying gigs. Luckily, both Jeff and I have backgrounds in FX from our college years. Jeff and I turned into quite the animators. I had certain shots done by Webster Colcord, a friend who I'd known from working on the California Raisins Claymation X-mas. Webster and I created all the miniatures for those sequences. The major make-up was handled by friend Brian Sipe, currently at Greg Cannom Studios. He whipped'em up from my concept sketches and Jeff and I applied them to Greg, who sat patiently for a whole day in make-up, most of the time not able to see. The Computer Graphics was all Jeff on his MacIntosh (Morphs, composites, paintbox effects and animations in After Effects) I would tell him what I wanted and, by God, he'd figure out a way to do it. GB: You would prefer to be known for your acting, or your directing:)? MIKE: If I had a choice to be known for acting or directing, I'd choose directing. It's more fulfilling to watch the project grow from beginning to end. It's like being a father. You watch, guide, and set it in the right direction and you just hope your baby doesn't wander too far from the path. Best case scenario...it takes on a life of its own.   Thanks for the extremely insightfull words Mike. And Goodluck with selling the film and in future projects.  What could get you if the cops don't?? Vampires.. Well it was made on an El Mariachi budget but I don't think so. This will be something that goes far deeper than bloodsuckers. On their escape they have a bit of car trouble and decide to go up to house (owned by the Gates Family) to make a phonecall to get their car back on the road. The phone doesn't work (Urbanoia 101). So now the wait for the repair will be longer. But their safety from the cops seems certain as the house makes a perfect hiding place. But the waiting turns into something more horrifying Josh has extremely wicked dreams that start blending in with reality. The Dividing Hour is the hour when souls are split between the powers of Light and Dark. (Dawn Gates played by Jillian Hodges, Lewis Gate {man with beard} played by Max Yoakum, also featuring Jay Randall Horenstein as Al ) THE FILMMAKERS  Mike Prosser: Director, Writer, Producer, Editor, Art Director, Storyboard Artist, Title Design, sculptor, painter. Jeff Yarnall: Producer, Director of Photography, Editor, Digital Effects & Titling, Dolly Crane Design & Construction. Dave Walker: Writer, Producer, First Assistant Director. Matt Yankovick: Second Assistant Director, Relaxtion Theorpist Greg James: Assistant Editor See official site for more info.  MULTI MEDIA The following are links to Real Video or Audio clips. They are non-streaming. So if you have an unregistered version of just do a search for *.ram files on your hardrives internet caches. Than put those files in a a more permanent directory.  The Opening sequence  Dean Philosopher / Engineer  The Four Guys Arrive at the Gates House  Fight between Peter and Duncan  Dean's Monologue  The Dividing Hour Strikes The Following are songs from the soundtrack also in Real Audio format, crisp stereo the Complete song.  "Opening Theme" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Rick Adams (Portland, OR)  "In the Air" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Peter Dolving (Sweeden)  "Twenty Years" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Shrubbery (Portland, OR)  "Dean's Theme" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Shrubbery (Portland, OR)  "Strike Me Down" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Doubter's Club (Knoxville, TN)  "Mr. Jones" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Peter Dolving (Sweeden)  "Can't Get It Up" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Doubter's Club (Knoxville, TN)  "End of Film" From The Dividing Hour Soundtrack Produced by Dolphinative Performed by: Shrubbery (Portland, OR)  THE OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.dolphinative.com October 99 I just received a note from "Hollywood Video" that was not exactly great news. Well here it is unedited. After careful consideration of requests to carry the film The Dividing Hour, we have made a decision not to purchase the movie at this time. Please know that Hollywood Video is dedicated to providing opportunity to independent producers, it is unfortunate that we cannot carry all titles. Sincerely, Aaron Phillips, Customer Relations. I'm not going to suggest an anarchic response to fans of this great film. But if I was a member of this video store (which I am not because I live in Australia) I would put the plastic video card in an oven and turn it into a shrinky (do they have cards or keyrings?). Than after lightly cooked I would nail it to my front fence as a warning to other video stores. Now I'm not suggesting a BOYcott.. But you as horror fans have you're own free will. You choose what you think is the best action to take. 2nd of September 99  Garth at DH has posted a very favorable review of "The Dividing Hour".. A Movie I knew was bound for greatness.. Congrats Mike, I guess this puts you a few steps closer to making back that whole 7 grand and than some. See the HFA SPOTlight from a few months back for more.   According to an Email I recieved from director Mike Prosser there may soon be a DVD Special edition of his 7000 dollar film, "The Dividing Hour". NEWS 28th of August 99

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