Bo Keister Talks The Cabining, Hillbilly Horror Show, Finding Waldo, and More!
Steve Barton
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Bo Keister’s become sort of a familiar name amongst the horror community in recent years. On top of his roles in recent scare flicks like House of Good and Evil and The Cabining (review), he’s a mainstay host on “Hillbilly Horror Show,” which you can watch online and on DVD. Keister dropped by to talk about the success of the show, as well as his next project – which he needs your support on!
You’ve been working with House of Good and Evil producer Blu de Golyer on a few projects in recent years. How did that relationship start?
Bo Keister: It was very random. Blu was in Virginia, scouting for House of Good and Evil, one county over from where I live. I had a small acting studio and a lot of connections in the area. Someone he spoke to mentioned me, and suggested he reach out, so he did. I came on board and helped out with HGE, and the rest is history. We make a good team.
Whose idea was “Hillbilly Horror Show”? And what was that idea initially?
BK: Blu and I had been batting ideas around, trying to find something new and unique to pursue. Something that we felt people would get into. Towards the end of 2013, he pitched me the idea for the show as “Hee Haw meets Tales from the Crypt”, and it just felt right. The horror host genre has been a popular medium that’s waned over the last few years, so we set out to fill that void, and our audience has responded.
Now we just keep working to expand and grow it, and I think everyone who watches the show sees its evolution. Our goal is to make every volume better than the last, and it seems to be working.
Be honest, are the majority of the short films being submitted fairly mediocre? Is it like finding a needle in a haystack, trying to find the specs of gold?
BK: It is challenging sometimes. We get a lot of submissions and, while we appreciate and respect the efforts of all filmmakers, there are many that just don’t make the grade. Fortunately for us, having Scott Geiter involved in the show is a real plus. Scott has forgotten about more horror films than most people will ever see. He gets tons of submissions for review as Gruesome Hertzogg, so when he gets one worth consideration, he’s quick to let us know about it. Another great avenue for us has been following the film fests. If there’s a short out there, knocking down awards at the fests, then we figure it warrants a look. Thus far, the filmmakers have been very receptive.
Is there a short horror film you’ve played on “Hillbilly Horror Show” that you’d consider your favorite?
BK: I think they all have something cool about them that I enjoy, and we have a huge variety that will appeal to almost every subset of the horror genre. I guess if I had to pick a favorite, I would say so far it’s THE NEST. To have that level of CGI in a short film is really mind blowing and impressive.
How has being in House of Good and Evil and The Cabining helped “Hillbilly Horror Show”? Has there been some crossover appeal?
BK: I think they’ve both helped raise awareness and interest in the show. Both films turned out great, and drawn some terrific reviews. Because of that success, we’ve been able to build a following in the horror community, and you couldn’t ask for a more loyal fan base. I know it’s certainly helped me personally as an actor, and gotten people interested in me and my projects. I couldn’t be more grateful for their support. Hopefully, we can keep creating projects they enjoy.
You and co-star Rachel Faulkner (‘Lulu’) are doing a new film together. What is it?
BK: Yes. We are starring together in an amazing new feature entitled FINDING WALDO and can’t wait to get started! This is a real departure from our previous projects, and should give people a different perspective as to what this team is capable of.
It’s about my character, Chance Reed, an ex pro football star, whose life comes to crashing halt due to his battles with alcoholism and a night of drunk driving. We pick up his story while he’s out on parole, and working in the mail room of a Lloyd’s of London-like insurance firm. He’s miserable and just can’t seem to pick up the pieces, until one day when he’s called to the president’s office and charged with going to interview eccentric novelist, Waldo Greene. Waldo is claiming to be insane, and that certainly appears to be so, because he kidnaps me and takes me on the road trip from hell. In the end though, not everything is as it seems.
We’ve assembled a terrific cast thus far, including the amazing Richard Riehle (Office Space), Matthew Jacobs (The Emperors New Groove), and we’re about to announce another addition to play “Bruno”, the owner of Crazy 8’s Strip Club. This film is gonna kick ass!
It’s up on Indiegogo. What kind of incentives are there for those that financially contribute?
BK: That’s right. We’ve already raised a significant portion of our budget, thanks to our production partners at Planet Capricorn, and now we’re focusing on the Indiegogo campaign. We want to encourage everyone to visit the page and donate to the film. We’ve put together some excellent perks that include all kinds of memorabilia, opportunities to be part of the film, and much more. People can visit the campaign here.
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