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Interview with Lia Scott Price by Brian Kursar of dugpa.com (Full text version. Video versions on Video section) Q. OK, so you are the author of 8 novels and producer of two independent feature films in the horror/sci-fi genre that are based on your own novels, and information on them are on your web site liascottprice.com. You’ve made a name for yourself and you’ve managed to stand out in an industry that can be rather difficult. Could you tell me briefly about what your books and films are about? A. I write mainly about serial killers and vampires, and my most popular characters are serial killer guardian angels and vampire guardian angels. The books and films are all on my web site liascottprice.com. Q. That’s creepy. We’ll get more into that a little later. Anyway, so, you made an independent film called “The Guardian”. You found out it’s being confused with another film. A. Yes. The title is being confused the Kevin Costner/Ashton Kutcher Film also called “The Guardian”. Q. And how is it being confused? A. Well, first there were billboards, then TV trailers, then ads, and people who knew I had completed my film were calling me or emailing and saying “Hey! Your film’s out! How’d you get Kevin Costner? And I saw the ads and was very surprised. It was confusing at first and I had to explain to people that it wasn’t my film. The confusion wasn’t just about the film’s name either. I googled the film and found that online movie sites were already mixing up the credits for both films. So I decided to just set the record straight. One is an action film and the other is based on my novel also called “The Guardian”. Q. So whose film came out first? A. My film “The Guardian” was a DVD release on customflix.com during the first week of September 2006, and I was just about to start the promotion for it when the billboards and the ads came out for the other “Guardian” film. I actually had prior press announcements about my film and its title before the other film came out prior to its DVD release. It was just ironic that both films came out on the same month. Q. So what were the advantages and disadvantages of this mix-up? A. Of course, the bigger budget/bigger name film overshadowed my own indie film, but it also created some unexpected exposure. Some people might say I’m using this opportunity for publicity, that I’m an opportunist, that I want to benefit from the other film, and of course, I’m not going to deny that it’s a marketing opportunity. What does an independent filmmaker do when a big studio releases a film with the exact same name as a film you’ve already completed? Bottom line is, I’m a businessperson and I still have to promote my own film. This is just some strange and amusing coincidence that another film came out with the same name as my film. So what if it’s just straight to DVD. At least I’ve accomplished something. I’ve fulfilled a dream of mine and released a film based on my own novel. Q, I’ve heard this has happened to you before. A. Yes, it has, with my first feature film “Dominion”, which was based on my novel “Dominion”. The film features Rainn Wilson from the Emmy-Award Winning “The Office” before he was in it, and you can view a clip of his scene on my web site liascottprice.com. The same year I released Dominion on DVD, “Dominion: The Prequel to the Exorcist” came out, and again, the trades and online movie sites confused both films, and I had to make some phone calls to clarify that one is a Vampire film, and the other one is also a horror film, but it wasn’t mine. It’s just amusing that this happened again with my second film. Q. So tell me what your film “The Guardian” is about. A. Well, since I’m already in the midst of shameless self-promotion, my film is perfect for the Halloween season. It’s based on my novel “The Guardian” published through iuniverse.com, and it’s based on a Guardian Angel that becomes a serial killer. I mean, has anyone ever considered that Guardian Angels could be killing us instead of helping us? My Guardian Angels are the kind you shouldn’t trust in Q. So why shouldn’t we trust in Guardian Angels? A. Because we don’t know who and what they are, and if we whine to them about our problems, we’re not sure if they will really help us or harm us. Serial killers come in all forms that we least suspect and that we put blind faith in something that may be as human as we are. I realize my theories are considered fiction and controversial guardian angel believers, but it made me see a whole new side to guardian angels. . Can we not question our beliefs, or do we blindly follow dogma? People can believe in whatever they want to. I’m just theorizing that Guardian Angels may not be as good as people think they are. People don’t want to believe that Guardian Angels can be evil. That’s where I come in. My film “The Guardian” and the novel version “The Guardian” explores the more fanatical and darker side of beliefs. So I hope that people will see my indie film to see this alternate point of view. Q. So give me an example of what your Serial Killer Guardian Angel would do. A. In my films and novels I explore the theory that Guardian Angels would rather get rid of the people who pray to them for help because it’s easier to get rid of the weak and solve the problem that way. They especially target people who desire suicide or who don’t feel like life is worth living. Read the news for the freak accidents. Or re-examine your own personal experience: Did your Guardian Angel really save you, or did you narrowly escape an accident because he had bad timing on his intent to do you in? It’s a disturbing thought. People want to be saved from their problems. The problem is, that’s what makes us so weak and vulnerable, and that’s what makes Guardian Angels want to put you out of your misery. Q. Now in your “Dominion” film and novel, why do you believe Guardian Angels are Vampires? A. Because in the Bible, I believe it was possible that they were even Vampires and that blood drinking was not just symbolism. For instance, here’’s a quote: 2 Kings 19:35: "..And the Angel feasted...185,000 men in the camp...Early the next morning, there they were, all the corpses of the dead.". Rev 16:6: "....For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets....and thou has given them blood to drink, for they are worthy..." So, if you read my books, you’ll see a whole new side to guardian Angels, to the references to blood in the Bible. Vampires in the form of Angels existed. It's easy to just called it symbolism, but do you really know for sure? Q. How did you get started in writing about your Guardian Angels? A. When I was listening to a priest’s sermon in a Catholic Church one Sunday, he talked about Guardian Angels as protectors, who will always come to answer our prayers and help us and save us in our times of need, whether we were suicidal, etc. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up on end and that’s when I began questioning……"Really?"....Well, what if they don’t? What if they’re really doing something else, something much more sinister? We don’t really know, do we? Q. So what makes your Guardian Angels and beliefs unique? Some people might say that the “Fallen Angel” theme and the Vampire themes have been overdone. What are your Guardian Angel characters like? A. I have a whole new fresh, original, and unique view. My Serial Killer Guardian Angels™ are not fallen angels. They are working guardian angels. They don’t have to be fallen. They their own rules—how to deal with us and how they choose to answer prayers. They walk among us. They toy with us. And by the number of freak accidents in the world, I would say they do exist. It’s probably their handiwork. The Vampire Guardian Angels ™, they are immune to holy water, sunlight, crucifixes, stakes, and all that traditional how-to-kill-a-vampire stuff. They do the same serial-killing methods: pick out only those who pray for help. And because they are celestial in origin, nothing “holy” can destroy them. Actually, the only way to destroy them is if another Guardian turns back to good….then it’s the classic good vanquishes evil stuff. You get the picture. Q. What’s your web site again and where can people get your film “The Guardian” as well as your other novels and films? A. My web site is www.liascottprice.com. Click on “films” on the menu and it will take you to the page with the information on all my films and how you can get them. Q. So what’s next for you? What are your future projects and plans? A. I’m currently working on a new serial killer novel, and in development for another film I’m going to star in.  4733 Torrance Blvd. #866, Torrance, CA 90503 310-940-1282 |