THE PEOPLE
INTERVIEW: DAN ZABBAL
It's Dan Zabbal, whose cameo in FLESH FREAKS virtually made the movie. See sidebar for more info --
 
FFWS (FLESH FREAKS WEB-SITE):Hi Dan, how are you?
DZ (Dan Zabbal): I'm all right, some tough traffic but otherwise I got out in one piece.
FFWS: So what got you interested in this project?
DZ: Mostly the cash.
FFWS:(Laughing) Really?
DZ: No, not really. You see, about two years ago I used to have this habit. I'd go to this park every afternoon and read scripts, or write, or do my taxes--whatever. Basically the whole time there was this other guy doing exactly the same thing, and after about six months I figured, I want to meet this fella. We practically shared the same bench! We get to talking and I find out he's Conall Pendergast--
FFWS: Overwhelming?
DZ: Just a little. He tells me he's doing this low-buget shoot, and he wants to know whether I want to handle this part or not. At the time I had only done BLOOD BULLET so I was eager for any work. The next thing I know, I'm on the set.
FFWS: So what's Erno mean to you?
DZ: To tell you the truth Erno was a little more significant to me in the beginning. For all those who don't know, Flesh Freaks was originally shot for three hours.
FFWS: Wow!
DZ: Yeah, Erno initially was a very key character! The plot practically revoled around him. Suffice it to say, in the beginning, was image of Erno was slightly more significant.
 FFWS: What kind of things did he do?
DZ: There's a part right in the middle where Erno has to fend off some huge rats! Really cool props if I remember-- they had these big teeth and huge claws! Very scary.
FFWS: Sounds interesting. How do you feel cuts like that affect the character?
DZ: Quite dramatically. In this current version we only see fragments of his precotious behavior, he's really quite mischievous in the three hour version. He lays all these booby traps, and captures all these zombies--he's kind of like a super hero.
FFWS: Uh-huh.
DZ: When you delete those scene specifically, what's left? A misenthrope with an attitude problem. I remember Conall and I got into this huge argument about the fortress scene, and whether it was essential to the plot or not. I thought it was, chop-chop-chop, onto the floor it goes... That's the business.
 FFWS: Well with so many cuts, does affect the movie in any way? Are there continuity errors at all?
DZ:No, not all... I--Erno, that is--alludes to the rats, but without the other footage it just looks like a gag.
FFWS: Well there's a question everybody wants answered.
DZ: Right.
FFWS: What was it like working with Ronny Varno?
DZ: (Laughing)It was...different. Ronny's a demanding guy.
FFWS: Details!
DZ:At the time I wasn't a seasoned as I am now... so a guy like Ronny is very intimidating. He has this presence that's just overwhelming and dripping with--talent. On the other hand, when this was shot we were all in a rush to get it done, except for Ronny. I remember (Laughing) there was this one day, I believe it was the labratory shoot--
FFWS: You weren't in that part of the movie.
DZ: Cuts... Anyway, we were about to film this sequence where these test tubes turn into snakes, it was cool.
 FFWS: That's not in the movie either...
DZ:More cuts... Anyhoo took the technitians four hours to set up. Finally all my make-up is done and we're all about to start, when Ronny just says, "Sorry, have pressing business to attend to, must go." The man basically leaves us on idle for about two hours. Here's the kicker--comes back with this sack labeled, "Do not tuch." We all figured it was some joke or something, but that's Ronny for you.
FFWS:He's been known to have certain...quirks... when he shoots.
DZ:I'll say.
 FFWS:What was Conall like?
DZ:Increadible! He's a real visionary! Gets you right in there and really makes you feel like you're one of the team.
FFWS:What other projects are you going to be working on?
DZ:Well I'm currently polishing a script, Nature Trail to Hell, hopefully I'll have it done by January so we can begin shooting in the spring.
FFWS: Sounds interesting, what's it about?
DZ: A bunch of high-school kids get lost in the woods and have to fend off a myriad of deadly zombies! It actually reads better than it sounds.
FFWS: Let's hope. Well that about raps it up, I'm really glad you could stop by, and thanks.
DZ:My pleasure. If any fans want to get in touch, e-mail me at autogyro@hotmail.com! Have a gore-riffic day!!
Les Peeples

Yes, it's a very exclusive interview with Dan "El-Man" Zabbal, whose exciting cameo in FLESH FREAKS provided the picture with one of its best - and most gore-tacular - moments! An accomplished international action star, Zabbal has been featured in such Hong Kong action classics as FISTS OF SERPENT MASTER and WO-LEE: THE CRUELTY OF EIGHT DRUNKEN GOURD SALESMEN! Zabbal, or "Mr.Z," as nobody calls him, is also an accomplished producer, with such features as MING SOON: TO A THEATRE NEAR YOU, THE OXNARD CONSPIRACY, and SSC: THE SKEET SHOOTER COPS (the only 3-D film ever shot in American Samoa) under his belt. He was also featured in the all-star comedies THAT TROUBLE IN ANTWERP, HARRY: THE MOOSE-DOG, and IT'S A WILD, WILD, WILD, WILD WEST.

Erno (Dan Zabbal) prepares for some zombie-killing with Shatneresque intensity.
 
A zombie (Larsen Svanso) is brutally de-eyed by Erno's trusty mop. I lose more mops that way!
FF Salutes the Cleaning Crew
Yes, the Cleaning Crew, those folks who are so vital to any horror production. Sure, we could've used this part of the site to salute one of the movie's many big stars, but why do that when we can salute the movie's REAL heroes -- the Cleaning Crew (a.k.a. the Maintenance Technicians, who, in a movie this cheap, ARE the stars). I mean, look at this mess:
Quelle MESS!

Who'd want to clean that up? Not me, that's for dang sure! But the Cleaning Crew did it. Yes, the CLEANING CREW. Remember their names - Eshe Mercer-James, their valiant leader. Erica Goldblatt, her trusty side-kick. Dan Zabbal, the 'funny' one. An Etan Muskat, 'Mr. Unclassifiable.' All they need is a humorous talking dog and they could be the gang from Scooby-Doo! Now, I know what you're thinking. Aren't those the same people who starred in the movie? Well, when you put it that way, yes, they are -- but they were MORE THAN JUST STARS -- they were CREW. CLEANING crew. The most dedicated, superiffic crew any movie could ever have. So remember ther names, NOT just because I forgot to put them in the credits (dang!), but because they're good. Heck, they're more than good. They're the best. FF couldn't have gotten made without them (well, maybe it COULD have gotten made, but it would have had one very tired, very frazzled writer/ producer/ director). So when you watch FLESH FREAKS for the thirtieth or fortieth time, enjoy it -- but don't forget to remember who cleaned up the mess. The greatest stars in the world, the CREW (I mean, you don't see TOM CRUISE cleaning up the set after he's done acting, do you?).