Q: What is your history? TJ: I went to The Seattle Film Institute for about 6 months before I dropped out because I was broke. I did some short films before starting "Sickening Conceptions" with some friends around February 2000 (pre-jackass). The show ran for about a year and a half before I moved down to Los Angeles. I've been a horror fan for as long as I can remember. I would watch any horror film I can get my hands on, remember "The Pit"? Although "Sickening Conceptions" isn't a horror movie you get the idea while watching the DVD that its made by people who appreciate the genre. I also write a horror/exploitation review section for sickeningconceptions.com.
Q: How did the idea for SICKENING CONCEPTIONS come about?
TJ: Most cable access shows are terrible. "The Brody and Teina show" and "Reverend Bruce Howard" were good shows but aside from that there really wasn't much going on in Seattle. You would think that more creative people would utilize the station to showcase their talents because it is a great outlet to get your stuff seen. I don't know how it is anywhere else but in Seattle the cable access station is dominated by religious programming. In any given 24 hour period you would be lucky to get 3 shows that are not bombarding you with their particular beliefs or agendas. The shows that weren't religious or political in nature were just awful anyway. My friends and I would crank call the live call-in shows just to fuck with them, So, in short, I guess I started "Sickening Conceptions" to bring some life into the station and to piss of all the ultra conservative religious programs that monopolized public access.
Q: The show is going to piss off and offend a lot of people-but one of the funniest things about watching the DVD is all the phone-in complaints about it, how violent these offended people come off or that they can't believe that such a show is on their television. Yet, at the same time, they obviously watched a good portion of the program even though they say they hated it. What do you think about all of this?
TJ: I think it's absolutely hilarious. If those callers had half a brain they would realize that is the exact reaction we wanted from them. If there was any point to the show it was to piss off as many people as possible.
We did a live version of "Sickening Conceptions" called "Sex And Violence" so we could take real-time phone calls to challenge these idiots to a verbal showdown live on Television. Our instructions for Jesse (the phone screener) was to only let people who legitimately HATED the show on the air. They failed miserably.
Q: What are the best and worst things that have happened as a result of the show?
TJ: The best thing would be the exposure. We have had the opportunity to be on the radio and in the papers. We have received good reviews from reputable publications and web sites like Film Threat. Last summer we did some WARPED TOUR dates with our friends from TROMA. I guess the worst thing for me was when I had to go to the emergency room after I smashed my hip bone on the cement hurdling some hedges on a skateboard. I walked funny for months.
Q: Is SICKENING CONCEPTIONS going to continue?
TJ: Probably not unless someone wants to pick it up. I've been approached by a few distributors who are interested but they want to take certain liberties in the editing room. They don't seem to understand that for the show to work it has to be OVER THE TOP and OFFENSIVE. They just don't get it. If It was to start again it would definitely be a little different, I think Ruckus Videos are getting played out at this point.
Q: You are going to embark on a DV horror feature in the near future. Can you tell us a bit about this?
TJ: I'm currently polishing up the script for a slapstick splatter film I am writing with Andy Signore. We hope to begin shooting in the summer if everything goes right.
I hate DV, but I guess its the smartest route to go since it will basically be a zero budget feature. We are gonna pump it full of gore, tits and offensive humor. Hopefully it will please the fans. I'm also working on a script called "Eric Anderson" that I am really excited about which is actually kinda cool for a change because I don't necessarily think anything I do is good. I'm just a skeptical pessimistic type person when it comes to my work. But I think this script has potential to be great. "Eric Anderson" is a psychological mind fuck of a movie that I hope to find some funding for so I can shoot it on film. Investors and producers should contact me, its money in the bank.
Q: How can people contact you if they want a copy of the SICKENING CONCEPTIONS DVD?
