Mike Skvarla, Writer: LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS

Mike Skvarla, writer

1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS, from concept to financing.

The central idea came right out of a dream I had back in 2005 – in it, I was on a tour group in the middle of the woods where this Davey Crockett-esque guide was trying to do some schlocky buddy-buddy routine with a Bigfoot-suited actor.  Needless to say, it suddenly got pretty violent!  Before I knew it there was a half a dozen of the Bigfoot-suited monster guys now running around, chasing us through the woods, it was really one of the most fun dreams I’ve ever had.  There was a lot of stuff after that that never made it into the script, but that key scene – which is in the movie, by the way – really set up the entire story.

2Q: Cinequest is hosting the World Premiere of LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS. Explain to us how it feels to bring this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?

We’ve had a couple of private screenings already but none in a film festival environment, so I’m really looking forward to showing it to an audience full of people who are excited about indie films!  I think they would definitely be able to acknowledge and appreciate all the hard work that we put into it.  

3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS?

The best experience was actually every day, when I saw so many people slaving away to turn my imagination into a reality!  Actually, I mean, uh, I was humbled by working alongside such a hard-working, talented, and dedicated crew who quickly became my friends and family.

The worst experience was seeing how many people got sick on set, I felt so bad anytime it happened.  Especially when Kane Hodder got a bit of eye irritation – I really didn’t want him to get pissed off!

4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?

From Day One we’ve operated on adhering to two adjectives for this movie – Fun, and Unique.  It’s written, produced, and directed to entertain the audience, to keep them engaged, and make them walk out of the theater feeling like their experience was worth the ticket price.

5Q: Time to pre-plan: You just won an Oscar for LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS. Give us your acceptance speech.

Thank you all very much, I’m glad you enjoyed our film.  It seems that my life goal has been finally reached, so it was nice meeting you all and I hope you have a great rest of your evening. <commits Seppuku>.

See LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONSTERS at Cinequest!
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