Interview With ‘Western X’ Creator Michael Flores

Where there is horror-western mayhem to be had, I’m first in line. I blame Carl McCoy from Fields of Nephilim and Sergio Leone for my addiction. The western has been paired with other genres including sci-fi and fantasy but it’s the true ‘weird west‘ when married to horror and the occult.

There’s a new web series on the horizon and director Michael Flores of Cazador Productions is at the helm. His production company offers a range of services for the independent film community and now he will contribute his own project–”…[a] supernatural western that combines realism with surrealism.” Western X is a 13-part web series that will be released March 2010. In the meantime, check out a trailer for the series posted below.

On the plains of a desert wasteland, a man known only as X is on the verge of death. Among a pile of dead bodies he awakens, with no memories of his past and hunted by an unknown enemy, he struggles to uncover the truth behind his identity; this is the beginning of his journey. Each episode uncovers some truth about who he is and sheds light on the strange world he finds himself in.

I had the opportunity to speak with Michael to find out more about the series, talk about horror and ‘cat litter.’

How did you get started as a filmmaker?

I’ve always loved movies; it has always been a thing for me. When I was very young I use to put my family through hell when watching movies because I would rewind certain scenes over and over just to see how they did something or I would notice something going on that others didn’t…it was an obsession. I wish I could say I’ve grown out of it but I still rewind scenes no matter who’s watching the movie with me.

I’ve written short stories since I was twelve or so but never really pursued it until much later in life. I began writing my first script when I was managing a fitness facility; there was a lot of down time so I filled the boredom with honing my craft. Eventually I made the hard decision to leave my comfortable career where I was making very good money and pursue something that made more sense to me. The decision was tough because I was afraid of failing and afraid of the uncertainties, oddly enough the timing couldn’t have been better, my ex-wife and I just got divorced and I had nothing to lose. So I decided this was it.

I love the Western/supernatural theme of the show. Can you talk a little bit about the origins of the show’s mythology?

The mythology of the show is based heavily on pagan and biblical beliefs. I took pieces of  biblical myth and ancient pagan teachings to create the basis of what makes this world “tick”, for example the three Bounty Hunters in the series are actually named after the fallen angels talked about in the Book of Enoch (a book of the bible not commonly accepted to be part of the bible canon). This specific book is actually very interesting and supernaturally. So I plan on tying similarities of different beliefs back to biblical beliefs and creating a unique and original feel.

Because of the nature of the web series, it will take time to really delve into the mysticism right away but it will always be there within the subtext. At its core Western X is a western but the world itself is very different from any other western ever scene.

Why a Western?

Westerns have always been one of my favorite genres and they have a wide appeal. It was important for me to find a genre that would be able to break any domestic appeal garnered and hopefully allure international viewers as well, after all the world wide web makes it easy to get the show in front of international audiences too. The western genre as been tried and true, a genre proven to appeal to world wide audiences, so it made sense not only because I loved the genre but because the world did as well.

Was it important for you to stay true to history in terms of the costumes, sets, props, etc. or did you take liberties with those things?

No. I wanted to be true to the Western “look” but being time accurate wasn’t important because the story takes place in a time not really stated—don’t want to give away too much. So I was able to take some liberties but not anything crazy that would piss off the casual first-time viewer of the series. Once the world has been established I won’t mind taking a few more liberties. One obvious liberty taken is the introduction of the militant army known as the Black Coats, an army that will closely resemble the confederacy mixed with a little Third Reich. I wanted to tell a story without restrictions.

Are you a horror fan? What are some of your favorite movies?

When asked if I’m a horror fan my answer is always, “I’m not a horror fan—but I am a horror fan,” It’s a love hate relationship when it comes to the horror genre. I absolutely love it, I just wish the genre would create a little more quality projects. I’m a huge fan of Rob Zombie, despite the hate he has gotten recently for the Halloween remakes, I think he’s getting it right for sure; he has a great handle on the genre. To me the dude is a film geek stuck in a badass rock star’s body.

My favorite movie? That’s such a tough question because I have so many favorites, but here is a brief condensed list: Twilight….no just joking. A Clockwork Orange, Brick, The Star Wars Films, The Devils Rejects, Once Upon a Time in The West, The Lord of The Rings Trilogy, Hostel, Kill Bill, Blade Runner, Taxi Driver, Vertigo, Sin City, Dark City, Army of Darkness, The Evil Dead, The God Father, No Country For Old Men, Oldboy, Escape from New York, The Thing and The Great Silence. That’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The production value is great and you really achieve a strong mood and atmosphere. Did you use any major special effects and how involved was the shooting? Any fun stories?

Thank you. The biggest undertaking in terms of special effects was the miniature we created, I really wanted to create a world that was unique and a landscape that hasn’t been seen before and the best option was to actually build a miniature model set. The set being 8’x8’ ended up taking close to eight months to build, but it all ended up paying off, the shots we got ended up coming out fantastic. Also, because of the uniqueness of the story, some of the scenes called for sets that were tough to come by, so much of what you see in trailer were shot in front of a green screen.

The only funny thing that happened was when my cat jumped onto model and used it has a cat box….that wasn’t fun to clean up.

What drew you to the web series format?

It’s the future; maybe not in the form that it is in now, but something very similar. Everything is moving towards the Internet and sites like Blip.tv, Hulu, and Youtube are the networks of the future.

What advice would you offer other web series creators?

Take your time, don’t rush your project, and focus on original content. Make sure when you release your first bit of footage that it is truly displaying all your hours of hard work. Also stay involved with the social networking sites, there is so much to gain from building a strong community of friends.

Are there any other projects in the works?

I’m actually writing another web series and I’m currently shopping around a spec script that happens to be a horror/action film. [sweet!]

You can keep up to date with Michael on Twitter and while you’re at it follow the show too. Please check out the Western X website for further details and a look at the cast and crew. I’m digging the Black Coat uniform. Yeah I’m Captain Obvious. Don’t judge me. Some nice things happening in this trailer–what do you think so far?