Video interview with director and actress from Gravestoned

by John P. Meyer

Michael McWillie and Christina Campfield talk about making an indie horror film right here in North Texas.

Photo by John P. Meyer

Christina Campfield and Michael McWillie

Gravestoned, a campy, direct-to-DVD horror picture with a distinctly sensimilla flavor, plays one night only this Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. at Studio Movie Grill (SMG) in Dallas. This free, open-to-the-public theater screening will be a chance for local friends of the film, shot in and around Dallas, to get a look at it on a big screen before it's released for distribution on November 3.

(It'll also be available to cue up on Netflix.)

In anticipation of their big local opening, writer/director Michael McWillie and actress Christina Campfield paid a pre-Halloween visit to Pegasus News World HQ to give us the lowdown on their experience making the movie.

Interview with Michael McWillie and Christina Campfield of Gravestoned

This is McWillie's first outing as a filmmaker; he's better known as a fine artist with a flair for canine neo-surrealism, as exemplified by the paintings of presidential dogs Barney and Miss Beazley he undertook for First Lady Laura Bush.

(Obama family: Listen up.)

Campfield is a model, beauty queen, and neophyte actress who crafts crystal jewelry and markets it from a retail store in the Shops at Willow Bend. Gravestoned is her first feature film, but after this experience she's anxious to dive into the acting pool again.

If you miss Tuesday night's show and happen to be in Houston on Wednesday -- or in Austin on November 3 -- you can catch screenings at the SMG and the Dobie, respectively. 8:30 p.m. start times at both locations.

Filmmaker McWinnie, cast, and crew plan to attend all three shows to accept audience bouquets and brickbats (as applicable).

Following are highlights of the the interview; I'm also appending the movie trailer for your consideration.

* How this whole Scotty Dog motif came about.

* "I really wanted to make the film. It didn't make much business sense, but still ..."

* The exteriors were shot at an old graveyard near Fair Park.

* Four different dogs were used in the production; "Whiskey" went on to star in the movie W

* Christina's takes mostly came after 3 a.m.

* "The camera loves her. She nailed it. There were no second or third takes."

* Hear Christina say: "I love all that gory stuff!"

* Plus, we find out what horror movies are their favorites.

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Anonymous

John Meyer, says:

A canny reader points out that Christina was voted one of the <a href="http://surveys.dmagazine.com/10MB/Details/Christina_Campfield">10 Most Beautiful Women in Dallas</a> by D Mag.