Chad Archibald is one of those guys that has been on my radar for a while. He continues to churn out rewatchable classics, and because of which he is someone I wholeheartedly respect and admire.
My first glimpse into his world was a few years back. I was attending Texas Frightmare with a friend, and we both decided it was a good time to take a break and catch a “little indie film” called Bite. I was pleasantly surprised, and my buddy was floored. It was actually his favorite event of the weekend, which says a lot considering George Romero was one of the featured guests.
That film stuck with me, and anytime Chad's name would cross my desk at CineDump, I'd make it a priority to share the information. For example, The Heretics is another film of his that caught my interest. And while I'm just now getting around to seeing it, when it was in the heat of press time, I would share every drop of information about it only because I knew if Chad was attached, at the very least, it was worth a mention.
Which brings us to today. I was contacted by Shout Factory a few weeks prior to 2019’s Texas Frightmare, and they asked if I'd be willing to interview Chad as he'd be screening his latest feature, I'll Take Your Dead for the festival. This was something I had to do, and of course, I jumped at the opportunity.
A handful of my group wanted to catch the competing time slot, but after I showed them the trailer for Chad's flick, it was official, we were seeing I'll Take Your Dead at midnight! I'll save my thoughts of the film for the review, but I can say that we all enjoyed it. There are minor spoilers in my interview below, but there isn't anything that will cause your viewing experience to suffer.
Outside of writing and directing, Chad is also a huge part of Black Fawn Distribution. Black Fawn is responsible for the release of quality horror films across Canada including The Ranger, In the House of Flies and Horsehead. Their team is driven by a passion to release physical product for the enjoyment of both horror fans and film collectors alike while also focussing on alternative platforms for digital delivery.
So, to conclude, Chad and team are planning on heading back to Texas sooner rather than later, and when they do, we'll be seeing the Cowboys lose to the Texans. If I remember correctly, I heard someone say loser buys drinks or something of the sort? Either way, this isn't the end of the Black Fawn and CineDump collective. Check them out, and buy their shit!
Jessie Hobson