five with frights - team edition:- jerod brennen
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Mr. Frights is proud to present TEAM FRIGHTS member JEROD BRENNEN!
JerodBrennen.com
Tempered Zealot Productions
IMDB
MR. FRIGHTS: What draws you to working in horror?-
JEROD BRENNEN: Everyone has a dark side, but most people hide from it. They lie to themselves, pretending everything's sunshine and roses. Writing horror gives me a chance to explore that darkness, to trudge through it, and to emerge safely on the other side. - Have you ever written anything that scared yourself or made you question who you are?
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JEROD BRENNEN: One of the most beautiful aspects of horror is that the characters go through what they go through so we don't have to. That thought always helps me keep the fear at a safe distance while I'm writing. My writing helps me understand who I am, more than making me question who I am.
- Do you think brains would taste good with chocolate sauce?
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JEROD BRENNEN: As much as I love horror, I can't even joke about eating gross things. I can't even eat bananas. Too squishy.
- If you smelled something, ya know, like a "this won't be good" kind of smell coming from the garage, would you go looking for the smell?
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JEROD BRENNEN: - Hell no! I have kids. I'd have one of them go check it out.
- The most important thing in your stories?
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JEROD BRENNEN: - Choices. At some point, each character needs a "What do I do now?" moment. Sometimes they choose wisely, other times not so much. After they make their choices, they either reap the benefits or deal with the consequences.
Hit the Grab Bag Questions below to go on with the interview...
GRAB BAG QUESTIONS
- Ever seen something on the big screen you thought "I could add so much to that with my writing" (not in the arrogant way, but in the wishful thinking kind of way) and if so, what?
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JEROD BRENNEN: - That's a tough one. I've been on enough shoots to know that the writing is changed up by directors, actors, producers, weather, budget... you name it. I have my fair share of stories that I'd like to contribute to, though, especially with the rising prevalence of comic book flicks. I've got a short stack of books that I'd LOVE to adapt as features. I just need to convince the content owners that I'm the right writer for the job.
- If you were a giant monster who ate people, do you think you'd mind the bodily nasties that go with gulping someone whole?
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JEROD BRENNEN: - Like I mentioned earlier, I have a tough time with the gross food thing. If I were a giant monster who ate people, I'd probably make friends with a cannibalistic butcher who could cut 'em up and cook 'em up for me. Otherwise, I'd have to swallow them whole with an enormous glass of water, like aspirin. No chewing.
- If you were offered the job of world ruler, what would be your first order of business?
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JEROD BRENNEN: I'd make it mandatory that everyone take at least a few months each year to do what they love.
- Does your own writing ever make you orgasmic?
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JEROD BRENNEN: I've had a couple of stories that I was really excited to share, but not THAT excited. Sorry.
- Where do you dig into when you come up with your stories?
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JEROD BRENNEN: I start with what scares me. That's why so many of my stories have women and children in danger. I'm a family man, and I can't stand the thought of anything happening to my wife or my kids. I also tap into my religious upbringing. We live in a supernatural world that we desperately want to understand, despite our limited knowledge. The unknown has been scaring people for generations, and I'm no exception.
- Why do you think they never say "When I bite into a Peppermint Patty it makes me feel like I'm standing champion style on top of a pile of corpses I just dispatched with my chainsaw"?
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JEROD BRENNEN: Because freshly dispatched corpses are still warm. Trust me on that one.