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Hillbillies to Horror Stars
A new documentary set to screen in Sydney tells the remarkable story of two horror fans from a small town who went on to make a hit radio show. Filmink talks with the director of the film and one of the radio stars.
Having grown up in a small town in Eastern Kentucky, where coal, bluegrass and church represent the essence of daily life, it is easy to see how Aaron Frye and Wes Vance, whose main interests include horror films and heavy metal music, felt like two misfits. However, the duo, who befriended one another in high school, were able to find an outlet for their passion creating an internet-based "Horror Talk Radio" show called Deadpit.com in 2005 which has proved a smash hit around the world with horror royalty and fans alike.
Their story is the subject of a documentary, Into the Pit: The Shocking Story of Deadpit.Com, set to screen at A Night of Horror International Film Festival which runs in Sydney from April 15-23. Director Kelly Marcott initially heard about Deadpit.Com when the duo reviewed a short film of his and was inspired to make the film when one of the guys joked in an episode in 2007 that they were "a big deal" now and that "somebody should do a documentary about us."
"What I found interesting was the fact that these two people from Eastern Kentucky were producing this polished web ‘radio' show and really knew a lot about horror films," says Marcott today. "I was intrigued by the fact that they championed independent horror films that they liked and seemed to be creating this virtual marketplace for these films."
Indeed this was the goal Frye and Vance had in mind when they first began the show. "I think the main goal was to provide a voice for a group of movie fans who had been ignored for years," Frye explains. "At that point, there were very few outlets for horror fans. There were a lot of films from the seventies right through to the present that mainstream media outlets like [the horror magazine] Fangoria never talked about, and it was about time someone started championing the films and bringing some much needed criticism to the people who weren't talking about them.
"Another big inspiration for the show was to have something to do in Eastern Kentucky," he adds with a laugh. "Hobbies are hard to come by in a small town, and the boredom will kill you."
Initially Marcott's focus for the film was the way in which Deadpit had reached a global audience and affected the horror film industry as a whole, but his vision began to evolve after shooting. "The idea started to change once we got to know Aaron and Wes. We discovered that there was a very human story behind Deadpit. We decided to focus on the questions of who these guys are and why are they doing this. Their story will appeal to almost anyone who has ever done something that they believed in."
One of Marcott's biggest challenges was earning the trust of Frye and Vance. The two, who on their show take on a pair of wacky personas, were initially reluctant to let Marcott see the real people behind their on-air personas. "It was a struggle to develop trust in such a short amount of time. We had a very limited amount of shooting time with them and it was difficult to get them to a comfort level that was acceptable by all," the director explains.
Frye expands, "Before the documentary, we told him that there really wasn't anything about our area to film, and that we weren't really exciting people. I somehow felt that he was disappointed that we weren't shooting Clorox bottles off our porch or line dancing or whatever. In some ways, I think that would have made the documentary more marketable. However, there was a certain level of trust that we had with him. I think he was always upfront with us about what he was doing and for what reason."
The film does delve into the personal lives of the pair, with a particular focus on the tension Frye began to feel between his dedication to the show and his real-life commitments. "Well, around the second year we were doing the show, I was working about 35 hours a week and going to college full-time. That was by far the hardest time trying to do the show every week. There were a lot of times when I just didn't want to be there...I had a lot of other things on my mind."
So how long does Frye intend to host the show with Vance? "I've always said, as long as it's fun and fresh and there's talent out there that deserves recognition, I'll keep doing the show."
Frye reflects on how amazing his journey has been over the past couple of years. "I never expected anything from the show at all, so anything we've gotten out of it has been amazing. It's weird because earlier today we got an award for excellence in horror journalism at a convention. We get asked to host horror movie marathons and conventions. I just never thought anything like that would happen to two horror fans from Eastern Kentucky."
A Night of Horror Film Festival runs from April 15-23 in Sydney at Dendy Newtown. For more information on the Into The Pit, visit the film's website and to find out more about Deadpit.com, visit the radio program's website.
