In 2003, Stevan Mena released a 70s throwback thriller called Malevolence. Over the years, it spread through word of mouth. Growing as it accumulated its fanbase, it had reached the status of ‘Cult Classic’. It also has seen the release of a prequel, Malevolence 2: Bereavement and Malevolence 3: Killer.
I had the pleasure of getting to chat with Stevan Mena about his films and his career.
I saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre when it was re-released in theaters in 1983. It was a double feature with Sleepaway Camp.
TCM changed me, I obsessed over it for years. I still do. Gunnar Hansen was a big fan of Malevolence and contacted me when it came out. We became fast friends and I even cast him in my second feature, Brutal Massacre: A Comedy.
No movie has or ever will come close to TCM. It still holds up today, and on the big screen is mind altering. Absolute masterpiece. All the sequels are catastrophically laughable, even Hooper couldn’t re-create what he did. That’s the magic of movies. You just never know.
What was the origin of the original film Malevolence?
I was about to do a drama piece for my first film, when I got the idea for why a killer would wear a mask in a horror film, by crossing paths with a kidnapper/bank robber. I always hesitated because I couldn’t get past that idea(why a mask). But when I solved it plausibly, I jumped in with both feet.
That idea evolved into a big story about nature vs nurture and the origin of evil, and how all evil has it’s roots in an idea that is either twisted or misguided. Sutter was abused by his father when he was forced into the family meat business. Martin was indoctrinated into that madness when Sutter kidnaps him to help him clean up, and groom him to help him.
But he doesn’t realize that Martin is also damaged, and unable to empathize because he can’t feel pain, the ingredients for a true monster, which is what he becomes.
Sutter was not evil, he was misguided and insane, searching for an absolution that was unobtainable. Martin on the other hand, is just pure evil. He has no feelings, nothing.
I wrote it all up into a novel, then broke them up into three films. I shot them out of sequence because of budget, but also because I thought Malevolence might not be as scary if you already knew everything about Martin.
How was the production on that? Best day of shooting that can remember? Worst day?
The production was a nightmare. I go into detail on the making of featurette on the DVD. I even wrote a movie based loosely on it called…Brutal Massacre. Everything that happened in that movie actually happened to me in real life. So in a way, Harry Penderecki is my alter ego.
The best day of shooting was definitely the day we shot with Perkins doing the scene where he finds the ledger. Kevin McKelvy really added some weight to the cast, and looking back, I’m so glad I cast him as he really hasn’t changed much since then, and really nails his role in Malevolence 3.
And what’s great is each film expands the universe, and takes the story in a new direction, unlike many horror films that just rehash the same tired story over and over.
In the years since its release, it has gathered a fan base. What was the initial response to the film?
Well, we won Best feature at the Long Island International film Expo, so we started off with a bang, and it just took off from there. We screened in LA in what is called an NRG screening, and someone wrote into Aint it Cool News and said the movie sucked (which is lame since we brought down the house that night).
But Aint it Cool posted the email as a real review, and a major studio, who had just offered us 1 million dollars and a full theatrical release, pulled their offer and we were dead in the water. But eventually Anchor Bay stepped in and the rest is history.
Where did the idea come from for Bereavement?
It was the opening chapters of my original novel for Malevolence. Bereavement was my exploration into serial killers, searching for motive. There usually is none, so Sutter is rare.
Sutter’s blending in with his neighbors was actually inspired by Joel Rifkin, a serial killer who lived up the road from me in East Meadow NY. He killed women in his basement, while his mother was upstairs. Neighbors lived five feet away and never suspected a thing.
That idea of these crimes happening right under people’s noses always terrified me.
What was production like for that film? What was it like getting to work with Michael Biehn and Alexandria Dadarrio?
That production was great, I had a real budget, and lots of support. Michael Biehn was very nice to work with, really down to Earth. I was the first person to ever cast Alexandra in a lead role, and I’m so happy to see how that decision has led to a huge career for her.
She had to do a few horror films because of typecasting from my film, but her talent quickly elevated her to the big time. Go Alex. I’d love to work with her again. I kept in touch with her for a few years, but once they get that famous, it’s hard, I understand.
Best day? Worst day?
The best day on Bereavement was during re-shoots. I brought in Brendan Flynt, who I had worked with on Brutal Massacre. We shot the scene where Sutter is dismembered. When we originally screened the film, people felt he needed a more “fitting” demise. Originally he died somewhat off camera. So we rectified that.
What was it like seeing the feedback for the film?
It was great, the response was awesome. But I noticed that the reviews from Europe were far better than in the US. They got the subtle nuances, the complex layers in character, the themes, Bereavement was a very intricate story.
Sadly, most reviewers in the US just saw it as a base slasher flick. Which to me is laughable. But they are preconditioned to undermine and disregard horror films here.
Sad. I have noticed that upon repeat viewings, people who disliked it originally, have come around and uncovered many things they didn’t catch the first time. So maybe Bereavement will become like my Empire Strikes Back, and eventually be considered the best of the three. But who knows?
At what point did you know you would get to complete your trilogy?
I always knew I would do it. What I didn’t count on was the amount of resistance we encountered. Losing a lead actor to suicide before a film completes shooting is a lot to overcome. It took a long time, but I knew somehow, always, that I would complete it if able.
What was production like? I know it had to be shut down due to the tragedy that had occured. Is the film going to be dedicated?
The production was tough, and I had to wear many hats, including doing my own cinematography this time. So it’s a lot to handle. But it all worked out.
How did the process go to finish the film? It was finished surprisingly very quiet.
Well, we did not promote the re-shoots because I wasn’t sure if we could pull it off. Especially since the re-writes included keeping some of Scott Decker’s scenes intact. I wasn’t sure that in the end I could have a coherent film piecing it all together.
I know when I had seen the news that it had been completed I was over the moon because of how much enjoy these films and this story. It is very much like the indie ‘Halloween’ of this generation like Adam Green’s Hatchet is very ‘Friday the 13th’.
That’s awesome to hear. I totally made the for the fans of the series. I’ve put myself in the poorhouse funding the re-shoots myself, so I’ve put it all on the line, but I’m glad that the series is complete, and hope the fans that hung around will be happy with the result. It’s not the film I originally envisioned, but I think it works.
What was it like getting to work with Adrienne?
Adrienne is amazing, and so much fun! I could talk to her for days about all of her amazing roles. I’m very happy we cast her, and would work with her again in a second.
Best day? Worst day?
The best day was without a doubt the scene where Perkins meets Adrienne and tells her about Martin. It was our first day with Adrienne and it was a lot of fun. The worst day is obvious, and that’s of course when we learned of the death of Scott Decker.
What are your hopes for the film?
I just want fans to enjoy it. And I hope people who are new to the series, if they like it, will discover the other two films.
How does it feel to have completed your story?
It feels really great. A big relief.
Malevolence, Bereavement: Malevolence 2 and Malevolence 3: Killer can be found on Amazon Video and can be bought on Blu Ray from Amazon. It can also be bought from http://stevanmena.com/store - They are shipped and signed by Stevan himself.
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