As part of the promotion for Warner Bros./Raw Feed’s Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back, the direct-to-video sequel to the successful direct-to-video Rest Stop, I was privy to an exclusive conversation with director Shawn Papazian, a man whose last name I did not dare to try to pronounce.

I’ll start over.

It was a short interview, but it gave me enough time to ask Mr. Papazian a number of silly questions about the making of Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back.

Enjoy.

Or don’t… it doesn’t matter one way or the other to me.

(Please Note: a lot of this material is paraphrased because my memory works for shit these days and my recorder was on the fritz… also, all of the “ums” and uncomfortable silences have been removed.)

: So how did this project wind up in your lap?

Shawn Papazian: Well, I produced the first Rest Stop with John Shiban and I was very involved in the production, so John and I wound up becoming good friends. With Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back, it became a kind of team effort… and I begged and pleaded with him to let me direct until John finally caved in.

: Now by the looks of it, most of your family is in the business.  In your opinion, does that make it easier to get into the industry?

Shawn Papazian: Yes, my father has been producing for forty years, and he also produced the first three Raw Feed films, so that’s kind of how I was introduced to it all.

: Do you prefer Coke or Pepsi?

Shawn Papazian: Well, I prefer Pepsi… and that’s only because I’ve done an interactive promo for them.  I’m all about Pepsi and Mountain Dew now.

: Well, that’s good… I won’t have to label you as a Communist now.

Shawn Papazian: (laughs) Thanks.

: What’s it like making and marketing an indie horror film?

SP: I started out directing horror.  I’ve directed three horror films so far.  The first two were very indie, which is why you’ve never heard of them.  Having Warner on our side is a huge opportunity.  Horror films, especially independent ones, are very difficult to push unless they have something big.

: Was the Raw Feed outlet easy to work with?

Shawn Papazian: They are very easy to work with.  Creatively-speaking, they’re very open and supporting to ideas and let me decide how this canvass was going to look.  It‘s very refreshing, having such a free environment.

: How about the cast?  Did they enjoy this romp?  How was the whole casting process?

Shawn Papazian: I’ll tell you they did only because they told me they did (laughs).  During the casting process, we wanted to hire real people… people who were very “organic” and were not only able to do the role, but were the role. 

: Poor Graham Norris (the actor playing Jared in the film) really gets the shit end of the stick in this one.

Shawn Papazian: (laughs) And literally at that!  At first, we only gave pages out.  Then, after reading the script, Graham called me and said “Are you really going to put me through this?”,  to which I replied “Hey, you’re Yale-trained, you can do this!”  I remember during the filming when we were covering him in shit, he just looked at me and said “You owe me.”  I said, “Man, I already gave you what I owe you!” (laughs)

: Who are your cinematic idols?

Shawn Papazian: Martin Scorsese is at the top of the list… Sergio Leone… Hitchcock of course… Stanley Kubrick… they’re all very important influences.

: Is horror what you wanted to do?

Shawn Papazian: I love comedy, horror, and drama.  To me, they‘re very synonymous.  I’m a very big fan of Alfred Hitchcock and used to watch his television series all the time.  I also loved watching The Twilight Zone.

: Me too.  So you would prefer The Twilight Zone over The Outer Limits?

Shawn Papazian: I would.  I love the simple composition and voyeuristic approach that The Twilight Zone offered.  Also Tales From The Crypt.  That was a great HBO series.

: What about the old Tales From The Darkside?  I used to watch that all the time on late-night TV… that one sort of disappeared from the radar.

Shawn Papazian: Yes, it did.

: Hmm. We’ll have to start a petition to get that one out.

Shawn Papazian: Hey, I’ll sign it!

Well, there you have it, kids -- Luigi Bastardo’s mostly incoherent conversation with Shawn Papazian, the director of Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back: he prefers Pepsi products, ranks The Twilight Zone over “The Outer Limits”, and will sign your petition to get the old “Tales From The Darkside” series out on DVD.

(and no matter what you may think of the Rest Stop series, at least they’re having fun!)

Rest Stop: Don’t Look Back debuts on DVD and Blu-ray September 30 from Warner Home Video and Raw Feed.  Keep your eyes peeled for a review soon here at DVD In My Pants.com.