Ari Bavel, I did not know this name until I went to Twisted Nightmare
Weekend but since then I have had to pleasure of speaking with him about
his films and himself. From first look, you can see it in his eyes, he has the
acting bug or wants to crush you hehehehe. Ari has agreed to allow me to
interview him for my website and thus here it is.

CWD: What did you want to be when you grew up?

AB: At one time I wanted to be a professional baseball player, but whatever
I wanted to do, I never wanted to "grow up."

CWD: You said that you had read reading "Creepy" and "Eerie" and
"Famous Monsters of Filmland" as a kid, did you day dream about
monsters as a kid?

AB: Day dream, night dream, I thought about them all the time. I always
felt an empathy for "The Creature" (as Karloff lovingly referred to
it). I think everyone does to a certain extent.

CWD: Why a BA in math?

AB: I was good at it. I liked it. At the elementary levels (like through
undergraduate studies) it provides a place in life where certainty
exists and is provable. Unlike the rest of life.

CWD: Why a teaching certificate?

AB: I took a Teaching Assistant position as an undergrad, then in grad
school, and found that teaching was what I really liked to do. It
charged me up.

CWD: 17 years as a High School Math Teacher, did you
enjoy it right a way or was it a job at first?

AB: Both, really. Working with the kids was great, but the structure and
the BS wore on me day by day. Oddly enough, I really don't like telling
people what to do.

CWD: If not for Todd Sheets, how long do you think it
might have taken to break into the business?

AB: Wow, that's a tough one. Being the biggest guy in the room most of the
time, I'd spent all my years sitting in the back trying to go
unnoticed. I don't know. Maybe never.

CWD: What was it like to you, to be in from of the camera
for the first time, being filmed?

AB: Freezing! I was in white zombie makeup from the waste up and we were
shooting in a cave - a REAL cave - and I had to wait in Extra-Holding
for a long time while they shot an effects shot.  Brrrrrrr! But I've
never been shy of the camera for some reason. Now a theater full of
people - that's another story!

CWD: What was it like to see yourself for the first time
on screen in "Zombie Bloodbath 3"?

AB: Pretty much the same as seeing myself now - I start making a mental list
of things I should've done differently and it doesn't end until the
show's over. Every once in a while I see something that I like, but
mostly I wish I had one more take.

CWD: Was the feelings any different for the shoot of
"Catacombs" and different than "Zombie Bloodbath 3"?

AB: Well, I had lines to memorize for "Catacombs" so that was my main
focus.  I just wanted to say everything right.

CWD: What role would you most enjoy having
in a movie?

AB: I'm still waiting to play the villain. Y'know a Jason type role? Or
maybe Jack the Ripper, Mr. Hyde - something like that.

CWD: What would be you ideal movie to be in?

AB: Well, I don't want to compete with Tony Curtis, but if they ever do a
remake of "The Boston Strangler" ...  Of course, I'd like to kick The
Rock's ass in anything!

CWD: How has Evilarab Productions worked out for you?

AB: Actually, I disbanded EP after 911. I renamed it Lantern Jack Films. 
It was set up to distribute the Todd Sheets pictures, but I only have
rights to the VHS and that's so passe now it's virtually dead in the
water. The website's gone too.

CWD: Do you feel that you might change once you have
headed west?

AB: Well, I'll get skinnier because I'll be a starving actor. 
But I could do that for a long time before it becomes an issue!

CWD: How do you ready yourself for a role?

AB: It's all in the text. No matter how good or bad the script is (and I've
worked with both) all the secrets of the character are in the text. Of
course, you have to make your own backstory, but the clues to that are
in the text, too. I like to hear the words out loud A LOT! The beats
tell you so much. But I like the scene work to be spontaneous. I often
go into the scene with the words but not any preconceived notions of
where I'm gonna go or how I'm gonna say things. The interaction with
your scene partner brings the thing to life and I like that to be fresh
and real when it happens.

CWD: Have any old students come to you and say
that are glad they had you as a teacher?

AB: Yeah.

CWD: Think you could teach me to play
Tennis?

AB: If you can throw and catch a ball, you can learn to play tennis.

CWD: Other than the Actors and Directors you have worked
with, which others would you enough working with?

AB: Y'know, I'd like to work with anyone who has a strong vision, knows what
the Hell they're doing, and gets their projects finished! A paycheck is
a nice bonus, too. I don't want to leave out anyone, but a couple of
guys I know who I'd love to work for are JR Bookwalter and Tom Sullivan.

CWD: Can I get a signed copy of Zombiegeddon when it
hits DVD...yes I will pay for it.

AB: When Zombiegeddon comes out I'll sign every single copy, if anyone
wants one!

CWD: Did you know we are only 350 miles apart apart
plusI have family living there.

AB: No, really?! Well, it sounds like an invite to me! I like my coffee
black and my eggs over easy.  ;-)

CWD: Your thankings the Higher Powers for being
far from us, aren't you heheheh?

AB: Hey, Twisted Nightmare Weekend was 800 miles away. 
You're just around the corner!

I would like to thank Ari Bavel for taking the time to do this,
you can find his IMDB listing here,
and if you get a chance, pick up one or
more of his movies.