From the creators of the cult hit, Dead Birds, comes the psychological, horror film Red Sands, which follows the story of a group of U.S. soldiers who face a deadly supernatural force after they destroy an ancient statue.

Bloody Disgusting: How bloody is it?

Alex Turner: It’s not really that bloody. At one point it was a lot bloodier but we had to cut a lot out. It’s certainly not as bloody as DEAD BIRDS.

BD: This is said to be the second horror film in a trilogy, correct? This is an unofficial sequel to DEAD BIRDS? How to the two connect?

AT: Simon Barrett and I have talked for some time about making a trilogy of horror films that take place during a war. DEAD BIRDS being the first, RED SANDS the second. Simon’s written a script that I love, another period horror film, which could potentially be the third film in the trilogy. We’d need a decent budget to pull that one off so that’s not on the immediate horizon. On the other hand we also have ideas for two DEAD BIRDS sequels– one’s a prequel and one would take place present day. It’s really a matter of financing more than anything.

BD: Being that RED SANDS is a studio movie, was it a good experience or the typical “nightmare”?

AT: That’s a good question!

BD: Did your vision make the final cut, or in the end were you forced to make some compromises? Are you happy with what’s coming to DVD?

AT: I think compromise is a certainty if you have a budget of 1.5 million and you are shooting a genre film with over two hundred visual effects. Even more so when your visual effects house drops the ball and doesn’t finish the film….but that’s another story.

BD: What type of films or filmmakers inspired this project?

AT: I’ve always loved the films of Sam Fuller and for some reason I kept thinking about his film THE STEEL HELMET while shooting this one. Same with Robert Aldrich’s FLIGHT OF THE PHEONIX. Also both versions of THE THING were a huge influence.

BD: What’s next? Do you have a third film lined up? Can you give us any details?

AT: I’m currently debating doing another small film or taking on something much larger in scale. It would be immensely rewarding to direct something that had enough of a budget to finish properly.