Exclusive: Bill Oberst Jr. Discusses ‘Ayla’ and Much More

I’ve been writing for Horror-Movies.ca for a little over five years now and in that time there has been one man that continues to appreciate my work. No matter how bad my spelling or grammar is, this man just seems to see the good in everything and his name is the one and only Bill Oberst Jr., and he is probably the most nicest person you will ever get to be in contact with.

He’s an excellent actor, although he’d tell you that he’s not. He’s truly humble and an absolute workhouse, and it brings me great pleasure to announce that we have scored an interview with Bill, regarding his latest film Ayla, a film that needs your support and I’m hoping we can get this funded, so let’s get to it.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – Bill, I don’t know how you do it. It seems every other day you’re starring in a new movie! So I’ve come to the conclusion that you’re either a cyborg, because they don’t sleep or you own a DeLorean so you can go back and forth through time. So which is it as you’re set to star in Elias’ latest movie Ayla. What can you tell us about the film?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – I’m a cyborg (well actually I’m German; same thing!) Thanks for giving Ayla’s Kickstarter some PR, Chris; I am so into this project! It deals with a universal emotion – loss. Elias’ script hit me hard; it’s steeped in the pain of separation that death brings. Elias asks a question that we better hope and pray we never have to answer: “How far would you go to bring back someone you lost?” I am afraid that at times in my life the answer would have been “I’d do anything.” And that’s always a dangerous answer. I encourage your readers to watch the vid on the KS page and see how Elias brought up this story from his own real life well. It’s one hell of a screenplay; heartfelt and terrifying. Do a Wiki search for the word “Tulpa” and you’ll get the feel.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – How did you come to be cast in the film and what can you tell us about your character, if you can, as it’s quite a mystery at the moment other than it was written around you. That must have been pretty cool though?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – The character is a mystery – I’m not sure what Elias will do with me! I trust him as an artist and as a storyteller. He’s a quality guy and extremely gifted. Whatever Elias writes for me is fine! I like the guy and I wanted to be a part of this movie.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – How about the rest of the cast? You are working with some truly awesome individuals such as Tristan Risk, Nicholas Wilder and Jennifer Lynn Warren to name a few, I can imagine you guys have had some fun?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – You know, when I’m in a cast like this, I always wonder “What the heck am I doing there?” It will be an honor to work with these talented folks. I learn a lot from working with great actors, if I remember to keep my mouth shut and my eyes open.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – The film currently has a Kickstarter campaign and I think having a crowd-funded film is a great way not only for the filmmakers, as they get to have their vision without being compromised but also for the fans as they can scores some killer merchandise by simply helping a film that they want to see happen. Do you think crowd-funding will soon be the new way of making films?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – I do. The business model for making a movie and getting it seen has changed dramatically in the last few years. There is a glut of product and projects. When a truly top-shelf, quality project like Ayla comes along; a film that deserves to be made and that has something meaningful to say; crowdfunding is the best way to get noticed initially,and to show fan support. I hope that folks will get behind Ayla’s Kickstarter campaign – Elias won’t let you down. I can promise you that.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – For those perhaps on the fence deciding whether or not to back Ayla via Kickstarter, what can us horror fans expect from the film?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – Horror fans are smart people; some of the smartest film fans around, I think. The genre is starved for intelligent stories that can scare the pants off us and make us think at the same time. Ayla does both – I’ve read the script, I know. It is creepy and sexy and weird and horrifying. I mean, we are talking about a man who brings his dead sister back to life…reborn as the adult she never was! It’s a dark, dark, thinking-person’s story about a universal fear; a universal longing to have the dead we love back again, someway, somehow. Ayla is what horror used to be, and what it should be. Support this movie, people!

[Horror-Movies.ca] – How do you prepare for a film? Do you have a certain routine or is it different for each role, as I can imagine some roles are more demanding than others.

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – The basic routine is always the same. Because I’m a guy I’m visually oriented, so I always want to know what a character looks like on the outside before I move inside. I like to spend a lot of time thinking about how they walk and sit and stand. Then I learn my lines and I do what I call “taking them for a walk:” I walk for miles and miles until I am exhausted, repeating the lines; living with the words; feeling how my body moves and feels as I say and think the words. People stare. I let them. Then when I get to set I keep to myself and go offline and off the grid. I keep the energy for the take. Some actors can be on the phone seconds before “Action” and do an amazing take. But I’m not a great actor, so I have to try harder to stay focused.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – Which actors or actresses do you currently have your eye on as being the next big thing? And who would you love to work with?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – Oh Chris, you can’t ask a working actor those things! Movie people are too egotistical and too easily pissed-off (“Why didn’t you mention me? I thought we were friends?” “I’m hurt” “Blah blah blah”) I have learned the hard way never to name names. People are crazy in this business…acting is a personality disorder disguised as a profession.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – I can’t imagine you have much time to watch many films due to your extensive work schedule, but which films have inspired you as an actor?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – Now that I can answer! (1) almost everything Johnny Depp has ever done (2) F.Murray Abraham’s performance in Amadeus (3) Max Von Sydow’s performance in The Exorcist (4) Vincent Price’s performance in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and (5) everybody on the boat’s performance in Jaws.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – For those that would like to follow you and your work, where can we find you? Do you have any fan pages?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – I’m on Twitter, Facebook  and on IMDb. I read and reply to all the messages on my IMDb page, by the way. It’s a great reality check for me – the audience is my boss.

[Horror-Movies.ca] – Which other films are you working on at the moment and what do you have coming up?

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – I am pretty excited about an upcoming release of a very dark film which co-stars Armand Assante and Marshal Hilton by director Mark Savage called 120/80: Stressed To Kill (probably 2016 for that one; the trailer is here.). Director Gregory Blair’s thriller Deadly Revisions will be out Sept.29th. I’m going into production on David Rountree’s horror thriller Impure this fall, and am headed back to the Czech Republic to finish a German project as Hitler’s head of secret weapons development, the SS General Hans Kammler, for Austrian director Andreas Sulzer. And by the way, Chris, I want to thank you for giving an early push to Trevor Juenger’s arthouse/horror movie Coyote – Wild Eye Releasing has really gotten the movie out there and it is on the way, I think, to genuine cult status. Your championing of that film meant a lot to all of us associated with it – thank you!

[Horror-Movies.ca] – Once again, Bill, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us it has been an absolute honor my friend.

[Bill Oberst Jr.] – The honor is mine, Chris. I love Horror-Movies.ca! And I encourage readers to head over to the Ayla Kickstarter and see if they don’t agree that we have got to help Elias make this damned movie! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/eliasganster/ayla-a-feature-film-about-life-from-death-reborn

If you guys missed it, yesterday we had an interview the with totally awesome and absolutely gorgeous Tristan Risk, and you can check that out HERE.

I had a great lot of fun asking Bill these questions and reading his excellent responses to them. So I’m sure many of you are as much of a fan of Bill as I am, and with just 7 days to go for their funding for Elias’ Ayla, they need your support more than ever. At this time they’re currently at a little over $25,000 and they need to hit $30,000, so if you can’t pledge, please help get this out there either by sharing this article, going absolutely nuts on social media or even shouting from the rooftops. You guys are the lifeblood of this business, so let’s get some original horror out there!