Judge David Johnson Interviews Stevan Mena, Writer-Director of Malevolence

Judge David Johnson

April 29th, 2005

Malevolence, the little cult horror hit that could, is a textbook case of the trials and tribulations facing filmmakers with vanishing budgets. Yet Stevan Mena, the writer and director of the film, persisted, and after several years of filming, his debut has been well received by the horror community -- so much so that a prequel and a sequel are forthcoming.

Judge David Johnson chatted with Mena about the challenges of filmmaking, the upcoming companion films, the state of horror movies these days, and the relationship between low-budget horror films and porno movies.

DVD Verdict: What kind of horror movie did you set out to make with Malevolence?

Stevan Mena: I wanted to do a horror film that was genuinely scary. A film that didn't let the audience off the hook with jokes and light humor. A film that took itself seriously, therefore allowing the audience to hopefully also be drawn into it, allowing the tension to build. Similar to the effect the films of the '70s and '80s had on me.

Verdict: With Malevolence you opted for an atmospheric, edge-of-your-seat type of horror, and less an in-your-face gore-a-thon. Why?

Mena: I feel that excessive gore is a sign of a weak script. Usually that's a telltale sign of a story with nothing to say. Sometimes it degrades the film, which I feel is one of the reasons horror was not taken seriously for so long. You had these gore hounds churning out these video rentals of horror gore that was like one step above the porno section. It's taken a while for horror to be taken seriously again, and thanks to great films like Seven and Silence of The Lambs, it's back where it should be. Sort of.

Verdict: What are your thoughts on the horror genre these days?

Mena: I think it's fantastic. Horror is back in a big way. Fans should really be happy at the way the studios are embracing it like never before. I think it's bigger now than it was in the early '80s. I think the scripts are better, the production values higher. My only complaint is the abundance of remakes. But that is just a phase. Otherwise I can't complain at all. I mean, look at how far a tiny no-budget film like Malevolence has come.

Verdict: What is your all-time favorite horror film?

Mena: Tough question. It's a tie between Halloween, Alien, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Shining.

Verdict: You've got a creepy stalker/slasher in Malevolence. Among the great movie killers, who is your favorite? Least favorite?

Mena: My favorite would be Jack Torrance in The Shining or Norman Bates of Psycho. Two awesome, scary, complex villains. Hard to ever top those. Least favorite would be the Blob. Just boring. Never really liked the Creature from [the] Black Lagoon either.

Verdict: Talk a little bit about the filmmaking process. What were the biggest challenges? Surprises?

Mena: The biggest challenges would be keeping everything on track, figuring out ways to do things without paying for them, and convincing my crew to work without food or water. The biggest surprises would be that I was able to finish the film, and certainly how the fans have reacted. It's been extremely overwhelming. I knew I was trying to make a film like I would want to see, but I had no idea how many people shared my taste in movies. It's really cool.

Verdict: If you knew then [during the filming] what you know now [after], would you do anything different?

Mena: I would have spent more time trying to raise money rather than jumping in head first too quickly with my own money. That was a mistake, and I'm still paying for it (no pun). It was the problem which spawned every other problem and spiraled so out of control that it ended up taking years to complete the film.

Verdict: Malevolence is part of a trilogy. Could you talk about what's happening with the other movies now?

Mena: The other films are written, we are just in the planning stages of pre-production.

Verdict: What is your vision for all three films?

Mena: I would like each film to stand on its own, yet also change and enhance the other films as a whole. There are many secrets in the prequel, for example, that will change the way you look at the current film.

Verdict: Lastly, if you were being chased by a maniacal psychopathic killer, what would you do?

Mena: Probably run, fall and twist my ankle, then run upstairs and lock myself in a room where there is no chance for escape and scream for help.