Interview Director Justin Miller (Sleep. Walk. Kill. Movie)

I had the chance to catch up with director Justin Miller (Sleep. Walk. Kill.) This horror/comedy got my attention when I first heard about it and it was worth the wait. You have to appreciate what Justin has done with this film. For me, it is a must watch. With that being said, here are a few questions I had for Justin regarding the film and what's next for him.

Interview

Q. Why did you decide to take on the writer/director role? A. I wanted to write something I could shoot on a shoestring budget. The directing aspect kind of happened by default. I knew if I wanted to make this happen, I was going to have to take on multiple roles. Q. What inspired you to make this movie happen? A. This was something I wanted to do since high school. My daughter referred to me as “the guy on the sofa”, and that kind of lit a fire under my butt. So, for a period of time, I stopped watching tv all the time, and did the thing I wanted to do for so long. Make a movie!

Q. I think this is a very unique spin on the classic zombie style film. Was that part of the creative process or did it just happen that way by chance? A. We were definitely trying to turn the classic zombie story on it’s head. It’s important to me to make something unique, even if it falls into a specific sub- genre. Q. How long did it take to write the script for Sleep. Walk. Kill.? A. It was broken into two short bursts. I spent about a week writing the first half, and a few months later did the same thing with the second half of the screenplay. Q. How did you choose your cast for this particular film? A. Samantha Russell, an amazing sketch comedian and talented actor (plays Edgar’s ex Ady) helped cast the film. She had a direct line with actors in the Philly comedy scene, and she did a lot of the scouting for the film. Honestly, this film would not exist without her. Thanks, Sam!

Q. Horror comedy needs the perfect blend to make it work. You definitely achieved that. Do you think this sub- genre is one of the toughest to be successful in? A. Absolutely! You have to have actors with great timing and delivery, who can get serious at a moments notice, and we definitely had that with this amazing cast. Q. Some of the best lines are accidental per se. Since there are several funny moments in this film, how rigorously did you stick to the script while shooting? A. Surprisingly, we stuck to the script mostly. A few zingers were added during production. The fact that it seems so natural just shows you how talented this cast is. Q. Do you have long term goals with this film such as a sequel or is this a one and done movie? A. No plans for a sequel. This is where the Sleep. Walk. Kill. story ends. Q. Did you achieve exactly what you wanted to with this film? A. Yes. I wanted to make a movie from start to finish, and I did just that.

Q. What were your biggest challenges while making this film? How did you overcome them? A. I didn’t think scheduling 8 actors to be in the same scene together over several days would be so difficult. Lesson learned! Luckily, all the actors were extremely generous with their time, and even able to shift some real life things around to help make this film happen.

Q. Did anything weird, crazy, or fun happen while filming? A. The set was actually my house, and we had a lot of fun shooting this movie. The strangest thing: On his last day of shooting, great comedian Legendary Wid (Uncle Pat) took the remote controller to my TV. I got a text from him later saying he took my remote (which was a large remote) because he mistook it for his phone. He said he’d mail it back. I have yet to receive that package.

Q. How long did it take from start to finish to make your film?

A. 13 days of shooting over two months. Two years of editing on and off during the pandemic.

Q. Can you tell us about your upcoming projects? A. We just wrapped principle photography on a sci-fi comedy. I’m hoping to have a late 2023 release date.

I have to thank Justin for taking the time to answer a few questions for me. I really enjoyed this film. I was fortunate enough to see this film prior to its release date. The beauty of the screener. There is something to be said about a difficult sub-genre of horror on a shoestring budget that grabs your attention and keeps it. Take that and add in the new spin on your typical zombie take over movie to create a winner. Stayed tuned as I will have the chance to speak with some of the cast form the film.