More Joe Zaso News

Joe Zaso will begin shooting his new production, Braincell in Liverpool this January with Barricade star Raine Brown and UK actress Eileen Daly. It will be written and directed by Alex Birrell (Darkness Surrounds Roberta's director of photography). It tells the tale of bizarre experiments conducted at a creepy university in Liverpool. Zaso will play an off-kilter doctor along with Raine Brown who will play his estranged niece.

In February, Zaso and Daly will both appear in a new horror film to be shot in Maine. Beauty is Only Skin Deep from writer Christopher Osgood and produced by North Bay Productions. Imagine Sunset Boulevard and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane by way of David Cronenberg.

We can't wait!

Click here for a special Halloween horror DVD sale.

Just in Time for Halloween!

Our favorite horror hunk Joe Zaso is back with Timo Rose's Beast, a new film that's scary, sexy, and gory! Timo Rose's Beast stars Joe Zaso, Raine Brown, Joe Davison (100 Tears), Timo Rose, Eileen Daly (Razor Blade Smile, Cradle of Fear) as well as cameos by Judith O'Dea (Night of the Living Dead), Monique Dupree.

Check out more about Timo Rose's Beast here and here. And if you haven't already read our exclusive interview with Joe, you can do so by clicking here.

As a pre-Halloween special, get the critically-acclaimed giallo, Darkness Surrounds Roberta or Bryan Norton's supernatural shocker, Penny Dreadful or Timo Rose's super gory shocker, Fearmakers.

With it comes a free DVD of the horror anthology Red Midnight featuring one episode filmed in Rome, directed by Giovanni Pianigiaini and starring Joe Zaso.

Both DVDs will be autographed by Joe Zaso.

Total is $9.99 plus postage for BOTH DVDs.

Simply go onto www.cinemaimages.net and order Darkness Surrounds Roberta. The total is $9.99 plus postage and all orders starting September 7 will receive a free Red Midnight DVD. This offer is good until October 31, 2008.

Checks and money orders also accepted.

If there's any confusion about ordering, please contact profondorosso33@aol.com

We also hear the talented Mr. Zaso has a few new productions in the works. Check back soon for more details!

PS - Don't forgot to visit www. myspace. com/beastmovie for info on the latest Cinema Image production, Timo Rose's Beast.

Joe Zaso: The Reigning King of Independent Horror Films

Actor and filmmaker Joe Zaso founded Cinema Image Productions when he was a teenager and has evolved into one of the leading voices of independent horror films. Whether he’s producing a giallo (an Italian genre of thriller films) or acting in a gorefest, Joe Zaso’s work is always striking. We interviewed Joe last week about his career, the trials and tribulations of independent filmmaking, and the sad state of mainstream horror films.

I've read that you formed your own production company at the age of 16. How did that come about?

JOE ZASO: I always loved the idea of making films (and doing plays) and what was
a hobby has gradually blossomed into a business. When I was 16, I made a video feature called "MALIGNO" (sort of a cross between an ABC Afterschool Special and a "giallo") which won a Long Island Film Festival award - and which inspired me to continue. I also love acting and when I had graduated college, I discovered that finding roles in film and TV was very difficult, so I applied my film making abilities with my colleagues from school and my love of acting. Flash forward 16
years later, and we're still making movies. :)

Do you prefer to be "Joe Zaso the Actor" or "Joe Zaso the Producer"?

JOE ZASO: I have no preference, just remember the name :) Producing is a job I
think I do very well, but acting is something that I find more fascinating as it more of a process than a job.

Your films are reminiscent of Italian horror films of the 70's. Do you have a favorite film from that genre that has inspired your work?

JOE ZASO: So so many, but the ones I have always loved are: SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, THE PERFUME OF THE LADY IN BLACK, PHENOMENA, DEMONS. Pretty much any of the Argento stuff has inspired me.

Of all the films you've been in, which is your favorite and why?

JOE ZASO: My favorite experience on a film was 5 DEAD ON THE CRIMSON CANVAS because it was hard work and painful in many ways, but rewarding and
sweet since it was my first professional indie film. It continues to live on which makes me happy.

Independent filmmakers are the heart and soul of the film industry. What do you find most rewarding and most frustrating about being an independent film producer?

JOE ZASO: Rewarding in that we as film makers can make most of the choices
(creatively and professionally), but frustrating in that we never seem to be able to raise strong funding - and finding paying distributors is even harder.

A lot of movie fans aren't happy with the quality of mainstream, big-budget films that are coming out of Hollywood. What do you feel they are lacking as opposed to independent horror films?

JOE ZASO: Studios and producers refuse to take chances, they sugar-coat everything, they are afraid of unhappy endings, they are insistent in being politically correct. It's partially the fault of the studios and partially the fault of the uneducated target audience of most of these films.

Nude scenes: "Good times" or "Good grief"?

JOE ZASO: Never good grief. Always good times.

Tell us about your experience as a Jersey Devil.

JOE ZASO: My friends Brian Spears and Peter Gerner of G&S Effects (who worked with me when I acted in THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG VAN HELSING) were hired to work on a special promo piece for the New Jersey Devils. Since they like working with me, I got a call - and spent a few days in Newark being painted red and wearing only a postage stamp of a costume. Nice experience - and something that will probably be seen more than any of my films!

Your films scare people. What scares you?

JOE ZASO: Real life. Worrying about the future. Typical things, but I believe
these things are scarier than what any book or movie can conjure up.

Please tell our readers about some of your upcoming projects.

JOE ZASO: My latest film being released now is DARKNESS SURROUNDS ROBERTA (a giallo shot in Italy for director Giovanni Pianigiani). I will be traveling to Germany at the end of March to produce and act in Timo Rose's BEAST (a new werewolf movie) and in late August I will be traveling to Liverpool to produce and act in a sci-fi thriller called BRAINCELL (for directors Alex Birell and Iacopo Di Girolamo).

Check out the Cinema Image Productions website here.

Buy Joe’s DVDs here.