Helen Keller is one of those people who you have never heard of but should have. A political activist and author who happened to be deafblind, she was an inspiration to many. And as director Ross Patterson exlains, she also, unknowst to many, thought nightwolves, as shown in his new movie Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves.Can you give us an overview of the film? Who exactly is Helen Keller and why is she fighting nightwolves?
Helen Keller played 3rd base for the Cleveland Indians from 1933 to… kidding. If you don’t know who Helen Keller, this movie might not make sense to you. Neither will adding the element of nightwolves.
What makes nightwolves so cool?
The beauty of this film is the ridiculousness of it. I’m not even sure what nightwolves are, other than wolves that come out at night and kill people.
And what exactly are your interpretations of the nightwolves? Full wolves or more humanoid in appearance?
They use outhouses like humans. Like exploit people’s weaknesses and take advantage of it. Barry Bostwick‘s character was terrible at Backgammon, the nightwolves knew it and killed his family.
Are there any particular werewolf films that you looked at for inspiration?
FDR American Badass!
Can you tell us about the cast?
The cast is Lin Shaye (Indsidious, Something About Mary), Barry Bostwick (Spin City, Rocky Horror Picture Show), Jessie Wiseman ($50K and a Callgirl, A Love Story, Bellflower), Jesse Merlin (Jackass 3D, FDR American Badass), Alanna Ubach (Legally Blonde, Girlfriend Guide To Divorce), Jim O’Heir (Parks and Recreation), Richard Reihle (Office Space, Glory), St. James St. James (Poolboy Drowning Out The Fury), Robert Ray Schaffer (The Office).
It’s a period piece right? Was that a challenge in terms of sets and costumes?The biggest challenge was washing blood out of actors clothes every night.
How did filming go?
Smooth as a kitten drinking gin.
It says on Indiegogo that if the film raising $1 million dollars you will put into into the public domain. Why?
I think it would be rad to totally give a movie away for free, just to see what would happen. Everybody pirates films these days, what would happen if you just let them?
Will there be a tone of gore?
There is a few gory scenes, one involves a saxophone. I can’t go any further than that.
What else makes Helen Keller vs. Nightwolves stand out?
That fact that this is the 1st time someone has attempted to make Helen Keller a badass is pretty impressive. Usually, she is the butt of every joke… not this time.
