Interview with Filmmaker Robert Sexton

FS: Did you grow up in Los Angeles?

Robert Sexton: Grew up on the east coast, in New Jersey, and New York. Played in numerous bands in New York and Philadelphia before going to film school in NY. I moved to Hollywood ten years or so ago.

FS: Why the move to LA?

RS: Moved to Los Angeles to play music. Changed careers in mid-stream. Needed a better paying gig and an occupation that wasn't so self destructive. I wanted a career that was more loving, caring, nurturing and considerate of the creative process like the film industry.

FS: Do you plan to live the rest of your life in LA?

RS: I’d like to stay here in Los Angeles. Vegas used to be a destination, but it's not as fun as it used to be.

FS: Why are you pursuing the film business?

RS: It's something more than a creative outlet. It's something that I need to do. I've always had demiurgic urges and all paths have led me here, to this place.

FS: You have a lot of experience directing and producing music videos, ultimately what would you like to be doing?

RS: Making movies, music videos, commercials.

FS: We have seen your recent short film, "LEGION: The Word Made Flesh" appearing in discussions on numerous message boards, it's on Cable TV, and it has screened in Movie Theaters. For those who have yet to see it, what is this movie about?

RS: From the press release: "A man of the cloth who has lost his faith tries to help an anguished mother free her daughter from an ancient, demonic curse...but they are a lost in an occult underground where nothing is as it seems... Where no one can be trusted."




In "LEGION", I dealt with movie archetypes. I took pre-conceived notions of characters that you already know and tried to twist them into something new...Without you realizing it until it's too late.

It seems to have worked. Horror fans are digging it. Slasher fans like it even though it has no real gore in it. It's just scary, spooky. It's a good, old fashioned, horror story.

Every scene in the movie is important. Even the bare breast scene is important. It's just not a tit. It alludes to the real power of the Brujo over his concubine and everyone else.

If you don't understand what transpires at the end then you weren't paying attention.

FS: What makes this story so profound is what you had to go through during the filmmaking process. Most would have shut it down. Can you share with us some of the setbacks you had to overcome to get "LEGION" made?

RS: There were so many strange things that occurred while shooting the movie. Before, during and after. People died, were maimed, had strokes, were arrested. Our caterer's kitchen burnt down. It was crazy. Everyone was afraid to answer their cell phones for fear of more bad news.

There is a famous occult store in Hollywood that I know of. I had a consultation there and I had an actual Witch come on set to do a banishing spell because events had become so terribly bad. People were frightened to come back to work.

The weird things eased up a bit after that but I guess that's what can happen when you make a movie about the devil and his ilk.

That being said, it's a horror movie, if we had made a comedy we would be talking of all the funny ways that people had died or mysteriously disappeared.




FS: Is there anywhere that we may view the film?

RS: Here is a link to the trailer:

LEGION: The Word Made Flesh MOVIE TRAILER

FS: Knowing that you have a winning film on your hands, what are you doing now to promote it and get it seen?

RS: I've been submitting to film festivals. It's getting a good buzz and I'm being invited now to speak at some of them. I'd love to go to Europe and talk about my movie but I'm unable to go at this time. We're trying to figure out some webcast scenario now.

I'm doing the same old Hollywood shuffle. Taking meetings. Dog and pony. Trying to separate the meat from the shaft.

FS: What is the hardest part of the filmmaking process?

RS: There are so many obstacles that happen in the course of a project like this... The first thing that comes to mind would be money. Second would be time, thirdly... money.

There are egos... many personalities that need to be nurtured, coddled, exploited... All for the good of the show. Sometimes feelings have to be hurt, egos deflated, backs broken... By the way, we're talking about my feelings, my ego, my back, my personalities!!!

FS: With the success of "LEGION," what is up next for you?

RS: Accolades for "LEGION" so that I can find money to make another movie.

"LEGION" is such a great franchise that I'm hoping to expand the first one and make parts two and three.

I have a great vampire story with a twist and another script that I'm almost finished with about a devil that awakens after a thousand years of sleep. He's pretty angry about the way things have turned out.

FS: Leave us with an answer to this question, If you could go back 10 years and lay out a different career path for yourself would you do it?

RS: I would have moved to Los Angeles sooner and I wouldn't have taken that extra hit of lysergic acid diethylamide while watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre in my Spiderman underoos.

Cheers,

Keep watching the skies.