Film Name: Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead
Director: Pat Higgins
Writer: Pat Higgins
Starring: Charlie Bond, James Hamer-Morton, Dani Thompson, Justin Chinyere, Megan Rose Buxton
From Pat Higgins, writer of STRIPPERS VS. WEREWOLVES, comes a full-tilt musical horror-comedy featuring toe-tapping songs and geysers of gore. On the eve of a televised talent show, an enthusiastic but dysfunctional cheerleading troop is on the brink of falling apart. But when a cursed necklace turns their rival boy band act into a screeching gang of zombies, the girls must learn to use their wits, friendship, and assorted power tools—before the TV finale takes a turn for the apocalyptic…Expect laughs, loud guitars, terrifying monsters and great songs like “I’m Just a Guy Dying on the Floor”.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask writer-director Pat Higgins a few questions about the film Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead which will be making its World Premiere at Arrow FrightFest on Monday August 29th at 18:30
Q. Your film Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead has been selected to play at the Arrow FrightFest Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect from the film?
A. It’s a wild musical horror comedy with blood, laughs and lots of really good bits. A team of plucky cheerleaders taking on a zombie boyband at the finale of a low-rent TV talent show. It’s got Charlie Bond and James Hamer-Morton as the leads, so if you’ve seen their brilliant work elsewhere you’ll know that you’re in for a good time.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script for Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead?
A. I’ve always been a massive fan of the ’86 version of Little Shop of Horrors, which probably have me the idea that a horror musical might work. Originally I’d suggested a horror musical as a potential third Death Tales movie, following Bordello Death Tales and Battlefield Death Tales, both of which I’d made with Jim Eaves and Alan Ronald, but that never panned out. By the time I was messing around with the first ideas for PTCLVBBSD, Anna and the Apocalypse came out and I was terrified to watch it in case the two movies had too much in common. As it turned out, there’s plenty of distance and difference between the two (Anna and the Apocalypse is brilliant, though!)
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
I’m always inspired by ‘fun’ horror; stuff you can go back to again and again. I really hope PTCLVBBSD finds an audience that responds to it in that way. Charlie produced the movie as well as being the lead, and she never lost focus on that potential audience and how much the movie might hopefully mean to them. She was an absolute powerhouse throughout the whole process.
A. Specific shots are nods to everything from Creepshow to Chicago, working around the confines of the budget to create something visually interesting which blends up horror and musical imagery. Our incredible Director of Photography, Al Ronald, worked absolute wizardry with very little cash. He’s just brilliant at using light and I have to regularly apologise for crappy sketched storyboards or clunky explanations of what I’m looking for. He saves my arse time and time again.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. The original script was sent out to dozens of backers as a Kickstarter perk before we started filming, which felt a lot like walking out the front door in my underwear. People who received it might notice the odd alteration but nothing particularly massive; we’d gone through a lot of drafts and little tweaks before the cameras rolled and we were in really good shape already.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. My favourite bit of filming was probably the initial Kickstarter campaign, where we did one ridiculous, jam-packed day and produced enough material to drip-feed out over the course of the 30-day crowdfunding campaign. One-liners, a music video, costume changes, interviews, promo photos… We got it all done in a day, and suddenly the whole project was lying ahead of us, so full of potential. It ended up being the most popular Kickstarter Film Project on the planet at several points in October 2020.
During the main shoot, it was just such a blast to work with such a hugely talented cast and crew. They were a joy. Even when the days were long, they always brought their A-game.
For the music, it was an incredible process to see Phil Sheldon turn my sketchy rough demos into fully-fledged, glorious music. I have no idea how he does it. I’ve been working with him since the mid-00s and his talent never fails to leave my jaw on the floor.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. COVID caused some huge scheduling headaches, and having so many roles and locations was a bit of a nightmare to manage as the filming took longer. There were a couple of days where key cast and crew were unavailable and we just had to soldier on and ‘get stuff done’ with those that could make it. Hopefully, it’s all invisible in the final cut thanks to James Hamer-Morton’s excellent editing!
Q. What makes Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. It’s a big, brash musical with gore and songs, and there aren’t an awful lot of those about compared to the more conventional staples of the genre. We’ve also got a lot of heart. We love these characters and really hope that you will too. Plus we’ve got a song called ‘I’m Just a Guy Dying on the Floor’ which nobody else has.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. It’s actually got much the same ‘follow your dreams, stand by your friends’ message as an awful lot of teen flicks, it’s just got rather more beheadings and eye gougings. So maybe ‘follow your dreams, stand by your friends, avoid being beheaded’ might be a suitable take-home.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A little further down the road, it’ll be time for Fairytale Princesses vs the Horror Genre. The script is a huge amount of fun, and I think that’ll probably be the next one I direct. Until then, I’m concentrating on optioning some of the screenplays I wrote with no intention of directing myself. There’s a spec script I’m very proud of called Your Lying Eyes which came within an inch of getting made out in Hollywood by an incredible director; the rights came back a while ago, so it might be time to finally get that one in front of the camera!
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. You can do it. That’s not up for debate: you CAN do it. Just take the time to do it as well as you can, and be sure to treat everyone you meet with care and respect along the way. It’s a tough industry, but never, ever give up. And have fun too because, Christ, life’s too short not to.
You can follow Powertool Cheerleaders vs The Boyband of the Screeching Dead on the website and Twitter .
You can follow writer-director Pat Higginson Twitter
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets at https://www.frightfest.co.uk/
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
