The film is an exploration of the dark side of the Hollywood dream machine; a revenge story with an anti-hero who finds no redemption waiting on the other side. It's the study of the downward spiral.

BD: You got your start in shorts, what inspired you to pick up a camera and shoot?

BCF: It was just logical progression, I think. I've been writing as far back as I can remember. My aunt saved the first thing I ever did, which was a two-page short horror story I wrote when I was 3, apparently. So that's always been there. And I was a tv kid. I ate up reruns of Wild Wild West and whole day matinees of Hammer Horror on the old TV53 in Pittsburgh, then they'd do this thing called Haunted Hollywood and play the Universal monsters from midnight to dawn. I watched around the clock, never slept on Saturdays. When it was time to start thinking about college, I was writing screenplays and of course had done some basement video slash 'em ups - all my stuff was dark - so film school seemed an obvious step. After a couple years of that, packing a car and driving to Hollywood seemed the next obvious step, and I worked there for 13 years. Til I got sick of all that sunshine.

BD: Who are the most influential directors in your life?

BCF: You know, I'm really not much of a film buff anymore. I love movies, but I'm picky with what I watch. I don't run out and devour the new releases, but part of that has to do with time. There's a handful of guys whose work I always enjoy: Vincent Gallo, Larry Clark, Harmony Korine, Werner Herzog, and Larry Fessenden, I think have all struck a nice chord between a commercial and personal style. You can tell in a minute when you're watching one of those guys' films, you don't have to look at the credits. Gus Van Sant's the same way. Cassavetes was that way. Romero's 70's work was that way. And I think the best horror director of our lifetime so far is, without a doubt, John Carpenter. Hands down. Nobody's come close to what that guy was doing in the 70's-80's, but I'm not the first person to say that. His stuff set a high watermark that hasn't been surpassed.

BD: Did any films inspire NEW TERMINAL HOTEL?

BCF: No, not really. Terminal's a character piece, at times a splashy red one, and it probably owes more to the music I was listening to while I was writing it, than any film I can think of. And music's secondary to the idea, it's only there to serve. The way I write isn't visually or stylistically dependent. It's usually one character that starts talking, and that points me where the story's going. It's in the dialogue. I'll start using music and things to enhance the mood the characters are already setting, and off we go. What's the saying? If it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage. Writing's the purest part of the whole process, it's the big bang.

BD: How long have you been planning NTH and what got it off the ground?

BCF: It's my most recent thing. I have two other scripts that've been in development for the past two years. I wrote NTH in January. I didn't even consider filming it until June, but the pieces came together pretty quickly after that. I worked on a film that month with Tiffany and thought she'd be perfect for it, so I gave it to her when we wrapped. She called me and said, "I read your script. It didn't suck." Which, in Shepis-speak, is good. So, I started thinking seriously about doing it. I'd been doing music videos and playing in a band, hadn't directed a film in three years and I was itching to go, so I called my guys in LA - I'd moved back to Pittsburgh that spring - and they were available in the fall. Then I booked a film in upstate NY and worked with a great crew, a bunch of guys who jumped at the chance to come down and get bloody. That set the stage for NTH.

BD: You got a pretty solid genre cast, who were you most excited to work with? Was there anyone you really wanted to cast but they turned it down?

BCF: Steve Geoffreys lit everybody up when they heard his name. I mean, he's Evil Ed, y'know? That was exciting. But I'll tell you what was more exciting than that, was Geoffreys playing the role of Don Malek. People have never seen him in a character as dark as this, and it wasn't until we talked during filming that I realized he'd never played a lead role as an adult, he'd always been some kind of high schooler. He's way deeper than that, as an actor. He took Don very seriously. I knew during our phone conversations in pre-production that he was in a unique headspace and was gonna show a side of himself that horror fans have never seen. He was intense. He knocked it out of the park, man.

Corey Haim was a surprise to me, even. He was cast last minute, just before shooting began, of course through Tiffany's connection. The idea was to do a cameo, but I beefed up the part and let him run with it, and it turned out way more entertaining than what was on paper, just due to that guy's talent and presence. Ultimately, I think he assists the overall tone of the picture. His character lends just the right touch of, I guess you'd say comic relief, to an otherwise relentlessly nihilistic story. Which is not to say he escapes unscathed. I don't let anyone off the hook, man. Buy the ticket, take the ride... Speaking of rides, Corey Haim saved our lives one night during filming, when an elevator car broke down and left myself, Tiffany, and my AD Bob Ziegler dangling above the 4th floor. Corey pried the doors open and helped lift everyone out, driving the hotel staff out of their minds when he dangled over the open elevator shaft. There's a scoop: Haim risks life to save others.

While there wasn't anyone who turned it down, I did talk with another well-known name about coming in, but ultimately we didn't come to terms. That's a surprise for next time.

BD: The synopsis teases an anti-hero… who is it and what makes he/she such an anti-hero?

BCF: Don Malek. He's a guy who starts off with a very extreme, yet strangely noble, revenge motif. When we first meet him, he's already on the path, he's already transformed himself from the guy-next-door to the shark that's feeding on sharks, basically. Then he accomplishes the thing he set out to do, but there's no turning back. Instead of feeling some sense of relief, he's still tortured, and problems begin piling up. I think people will relate to him in a way, at least in the beginning. It isn't long before he's doing some questionable things and the dial starts to turn. Whether the audience sticks with him, or writes him off as a psycho I guess depends on the nature of the audience. He's not a white hat, but in a strange way he's the most sincere character in the story.

BD: How much blood and guts are in NTH?

BCF: Enough to keep the nasty spots nasty. Big thanks to Jerry Gergely and Chris & Sabrina from Tom Savini's Makeup FX Program in Monessen PA, for coming in and kicking ass for us where it was needed. But y'know, the film's really driven by its characters. They're real. I love the old Grand Guignol style, and I think we have some of that. I think we have a lot of that, actually. And for fans of blood, I think the ending of New Terminal Hotel is one of the most disturbing things you'll see all year.

BD: What were some of the biggest struggles in filming NTH?

BCF: I gotta say, this production was one of the easier shoots I've seen. Our day schedules weren't brutal, and I wanted to keep our environment relaxed, just due to the nature of the material we were dealing with. You run the risk of driving people mad in a claustrophobic setting like that - the majority of the film takes place in the hotel rooms and corridors - and I didn't want to run these guys into the ground on week one. Some cats started climbing the walls anyway, that's just the nature of the beast, but everything ran really well. Everyone showed up with their game face and we hit the ground running. If anything, time was an issue. We shot on a two-week schedule and crammed a lot in. I couldn't have done it without this team. Our DP, Nickolas Rossi, is a total asset. We've worked together since 2002, and that guy can carry the ball. Our AC, Nick Morr, was a total pro, super team player and always good for some levity. Our AD, Bob Ziegler, the sleepless wonder and voice of reason, made sure we kept up the forward march. NTH was my second film with Bob. There's too many to name, they know who they are. The whole gang was a pleasure to work with and made my job that much easier. Oh, and getting one more Starbucks run in before 8:30 closing was a challenge. I don't think we ever made it.

BD: Is this something you see having a sequel?

BCF: Personally, I'm not big on sequels, but I left that door unlocked if anyone else is. I'm open to discussion.

BD: What plans are forthcoming for you?

BCF: Editing. We're putting final touches on a trailer, on our way to a picture cut. Right now, I'm going into the kitchen to take a crack at mixing the perfect Bloody Mary. If I don't succeed, try, try again. Cheers.