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Three years ago, when the economic downturn triggered a lack of corporate and documentary film work for me, I decided it was time to take action on a lifetime love affair with horror films. While some people went back to school, I started writing the script for Empress Vampire. My co-producer, Ange Maya, and I had decided we wanted to make a vampire film starring her in the title role. We initially met when we were both contacted to make a different vampire movie that eventually fell through. But we were so bitten by the bug that we decided to make our own. I wrote a basic vampire movie and Ange kept sending me idea after idea to add to the film until it became Empress Vampire - complete with a song and dance number!

I knew I wanted to make an exploitative horror movie just like the ones I enjoyed watching. It had to include the three “B”s - blood, boobs and bombs. The first two were easy with female vampires. But I had to work on how vampires died to eventually come up with the bombs (bombs are much better on the screen than at the box office).

I believed that just like the ball field in Field of Dreams, that if I built it, they would come. And they did. All except for financial backers.
After all, we were in the worst recession since The Great Depression. But in terms of actors and makeup artists and willing helpers, both in and out of the industry, we gathered all the personnel necessary to proceed. Ange had her family in China oversee the costume making there to ensure authenticity. I scoured the alleyways of the San Fernando Valley and collected all the discarded building materials and lumber I could find to build all the props and set pieces. Doug Tidstrand composed a wonderful original score that brought the visuals to life. Even my wife gave up control of her house so I could turn it into a soundstage with sets of the Empress’ lair, ancient China and Romania.

Empress Vampire is a true labor of love. All the
participants gave so willingly to make sure the film would succeed that it took on a life of its own.

Now our goal is to share Empress Vampire with the world.

We all hope you enjoy Empress Vampire.

~ Phil Condit, Sick Puppy Pictures


DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

By Phil Condit