Trent Duncan discusses Icons of Horror part 2

Slickster: Hello Mr. Duncan. Thanks for talking to Slickster Magazine again.

Trent Duncan: Pleasure as always.

We already know about the second “Icons of Horror” trailer that you recently released. We’ll get to that in a moment. What else have you been up too after The End of Days apocalyptic film festival?

Believe it or not, the majority of my time since then has been writing, producing and now editing “Icons of Horror 2.” It’s going to be almost an hour long, so you can only imagine the time involved.

Awesome! Let’s talk about the #EpicHorrorBattles, and it’s continuance with the Icons of Horror 2 trailer. Included in your popular YouTube videos are all of the monsters, villains, etc., that one would expect from a genre piece like “Icons of Horror.” But there are some lesser known icons that also make appearances. How do you go about selecting which icons will make it into the films?

That’s a good question. Part of my decision is based on the comments and suggestions fans give, which is why Pinhead and Herbert West are making an appearance. Another deciding factor is the feasibility and practicality of the costumes or character. A few other popular suggestions are Predator, Chucky, and Leprechaun. But those would either be expensive or very tricky. Regardless, any characters I put in the film, I try and add a darker horror aspect to each of them. Besides, it’s a lot easier to develop and intertwine a story around Albert Wesker and the Resident Evil series, than it is around Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers.

You seem to lean more towards supernatural villains as opposed to more earthly bad guys. For example, in The Revenant (2015) trapper John Fitzgerald, portrayed by Tom Hardy, is a seriously heinous individual. Even on the footsteps of death he utters lines of dialogue that make you hate him, yet his evil is very real, believable and palpable. Do these types of monsters interest you at all, or it is more of fad in filmmaking these days?

I do enjoy the earthly bad guys because they bring a sense of real evil to the screen. A kind of evil that’s not based on an urban legend or an imagination, but the kind of evil that gives you chills because you know it’s possible. I don’t think they’re a fad either. I would definitely like to create a real earthly bad guy, but most of my fans want to see their favorite old school horror villains. But who knows, I may sneak one in the film.

Is this first time that you worked with Pinhead (from the Hellraiser series)?

Yes, as you can imagine, the Pinhead makeup is very tedious and tricky. But, he’s a popular horror icon, so I felt the need to include him somehow.

Damn! Didn’t know that. From Pinhead’s appearance at the end of the trailer, it looks like there was some genuine effort to recreate the costume and make-up. Who was in charge of this and how did they go about the process?

My makeup artist definitely worked wonders with his costume and it took about 2 hours to get him fully into makeup. He owned the actual Pinhead costume, so that was easy. It was the pins in the head that were troublesome. We combined practical makeup with an actual Pinhead mask from the Halloween prop store to make it work.

I see Cheyenne traded in the mask for a Punisher costume. Does he portray any other horror characters in Icons 2 or can we expect more Frank Castle?

No more new costumes for Cheyenne in “Icons 2,” but there are some more scenes with Frank Castle and Rachel Cole-Alves that he and Constance Payne do a great job in.

You also always cast talented and sexy ladies in your short horror films. Can you walk us through the casting process and is there ever a time when you weigh in on the actresses’ physical appearance vs. her on-screen charisma?

Sure thing. Well, its horror, so sex sells. But I also try to add a sense of depth to each character. As far as casting, I usually have an actor in mind that somewhat resembles the character.

It’s kinda hard to sell a character to the audience if the actor doesn’t at least look similar to them. So, once I have a local actress in mind, I’ll include her character in the film.

It’s just a lot easier than doing it the other way around… Unless I had unlimited resources, but we all know that’s not the case. [laugh] As far as the on-screen charisma, they have the actual movies of how the characters should be played. But I usually let them add their own little character nuances.

Most indie filmmakers look like they live on ramen noodles and haven’t seen a gym in years. You on the other hand look like you could benchpress the USS Saratoga. What gives? Is your filmmaking philosophy somehow congruent with weight lifting?

[laugh] Well, thanks, man. I do notice that among some other filmmakers. Working out has always been a part of my life. The funny thing is, I’m not a huge fan of the gym. I just like the feeling healthy and capable.

What’s the best way for fans to get involved with your films and the horror genre in general?

Fans can see all my stuff on YouTube. Just search Trent Duncan or trenttduncan. Please subscribe and share with your friends. The little bit of revenue I do get goes directly to producing more epic horror films.

Trent, thanks again for taking the time to talk to us. Anything else you would like to add before we wrap this up?

Thanks again for having me, and I’m really excited for the release of “Icons of Horror 2.” I know the fans are gonna love it!

Last question. What is current favorite new-ish horror film right now?

Don’t Breathe. Definitely a cool film.