The Mini-View Featuring Brandon Slagle

Brandon Slagle was born just outside of Austin, Texas to Larry Slagle and Suzette Jacobs, who divorced when Brandon was five years old. Inspired as a teenager by such legends as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift, he never took anything lightly and never expected any hand-outs. Coming from a strong work ethic as well as well as an extremely rich cultural and diverse ethnic background, he has been able to make amazing things come from very little, and has begun to leave his mark on the film world. Gaining cult status from a number of "b" horror films and genre-based convention appearances, he refuses to be completely satisfied - always looking for the next great role, the next amazing opportunity, and the next chance to do something that hopefully will prove a little more "interesting" than the prior one was.

Check out Brandon's IMDB page for his film work:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1761677/

Brandon's own personal blog:

http://brandonslagle.blogspot.com/

Facebook page for Brandon's new film VIVID:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivid-the-film/150705361624430?v=info

1. You have had the chance and the pleasure of working with so many names in the world of indie film, I would imagine that's quite a humbling feeling. Are there any legends in film that you would love to work with? If so, whom?

Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington, Lance Henricksen (who I keep running into - so perhaps it's a sign??), Daniel-Day Lewis, Sigourney Weaver, Ellen Burstyn, and I guess I will include directors such as Ridley Scott, Darren Aronofsky, Francis For Coppola, Martin Scorcese, and Ben Affleck, who has become a freakin' dynamite director.

2. Looking at your career in film there isn't much you haven't done behind or in front of the screen. (acting, producing, composer, directing) Is there a place you haven't gone yet? What is the next step for you?

More of the same really. I want to continue developing my own projects now, especially with as well-received as 15 Till Midnight and Song of the Shattered have been so far. That of course, doesn't mean that I will only be doing my own things.

I suppose though, a more direct answer would be to eventually direct something that I am not an actor in. That will come in time...

3. If one were to look through your acting credits they would notice everything from comedy to science fiction. Yet horror seems to be the genre you are most known for. Would you say this is by choice, or by demand?

It is both by choice as well as demand. I grew up reading Fangoria of course, and used to frequent the Mom & Pop video stores and collectible shops looking for rare and obscure genre films (back before everything was on DVD and you had to search for rare workprints and laserdisc bootlegs...).

So naturally, the horror genre was something I was drawn to when I started actually getting cast in films (which wasn't instant...figuring this out takes years and discourages a lot of people - for example I'm in my mid-30's now and have been auditioning since I was 15). Apparently I was doing something right since I kept getting cast in genre films.

Of course, this isn't necessarily the end-all for me. I also grew up on classic films (Citizen Kane was a huge influence on me) and I idolized Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift - so to be bluntly honest, horror is not the only thing I want to do, say what you will about that statement.

4. For those who do not know, you were quite well known in the music scene as the front man for the metal band Die Section. You have also worked as a composer on several films now. If you were asked to compile a soundtrack for a horror film and had access to any 12 bands, what would this track listing look like?

I would list them, but they would probably all be Industrial bands which most people may or may not have heard of - (or have they?) - and I don't mean to more synth/hardcore techno-derived Industrial that seems to be all the rage these days, but stuff like Frontline Assembly (who more people know by their alter-ego project, Delerium), Godflesh, Skinny Puppy, Rabbit Junk, and the like.

5. Lastly, what does Brandon Slagle do in his down time? You seem to be one of the busiest actors in indie cinema. What keeps you entertained when you are not working?

In short - looking for more work and developing more projects...this is all-consuming, which a lot of people don't seem to realize...or want to realize...

Many thanks to Brandon for taking time out of his busy schedule to be a part of The Mini-View!

- B. Bennett