Orson Oblowitz Talks ‘The Queen Of Hollywood BLVD’And His Next Film In Our Interview

October 20, 2018

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com

Writer-director Orson Oblowitz‘s (Corbin Nash) noir crime thriller The Queen of Hollywood BLVD has just arrived on Digital.
 

 
The film stars Rosemary Hochschild (Supergirl) as a strong woman willing to do whatever it takes to keep her club.
“On her 60th birthday, Mary (Rosemary Hochschild) finds her past coming back to haunt her, as a 25-year-old debt means the mob is ready to collect with interest, their sights set on the strip club she has run all her life. There’s only one thing she can do: Mount her defenses and stand her ground in a spiral of violence and revenge that will leave no one in her life untouched.”
The film, also stars Ana Mulvoy Ten, Roger Guenveur Smith and the late Michael Parks (‘Kill Bill’, Red State, From Dusk Till Dawn) in his final film appearance.
 


 
Oblowitz took the time out of his busy schedule to do an interview with me, revealing surprising details of the film and discussing his upcoming horror film Hell is Where the Home Is.
 
Horror Fuel: “If you will, tell us about your involvement with MTV’s Greatest Party Stories Ever?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “I was the cinematographer for it. We did a mixture of animation and live action. We did three different ones, one was an animated man with tattoos and a story. Another one was where we had cats that were a metaphor for two guys that went to a Trump rally. We used cats to play the people. The other was a story about a man who had a crazy night, having a ménage à trois with a man and his elderly wife.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “Well then [laughter].
Tell us about The Queen of Hollywood BLVD?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “It’s a crazy, noir crime thriller about a woman who has run a strip club for the past twenty-five years. On her sixtieth birthday, an old gangster who she owes money to comes around to collect an old debt and tries to take her club away from her unless she commits an act of violence.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “The film features a largely female cast.”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “The cast is predominantly female. The main actress, Rosemary Hochschild is actually my mother. I wanted to show women in roles they don’t normally play. I cast my mom in the lead, a role that’s usually played a man, a hard-boiled role. Why is it people like Liam Neeson usually play those kinds of roles, but a woman is held to a different scale? I grew up with a real tough mom. That’s why I put her in it. Very few men could scare that woman [laughter].”
 
 

 
 
Horror Fuel: “What was it like to film in a strip club with your mom? Was that awkward?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “It was awesome. We’re pretty open and cool. She’s wilder than I am. She always tries to push things further than me. I’m a little shy and she’s like ‘Let’s go!’ She really rallied the troops a lot along the way. It was really fun.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “It’s great that you and your mom have that relationship. She sounds cool as hell. I couldn’t imagine filming in a strip club with my mother.”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “My mom’s a wild one [laughter].”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “How did the story come to you?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “I’m also a photographer living in Hollywood. I based the story off of a bunch of different characters that I saw on the street while taking photos. It really came from the area in Hollywood and the people I meet. With my love of crime movies and noir I wanted to melt it all together.”
 
Horror Fuel: “According to the trailer, there is a lot of violence in the film. It’s pretty brutal. How did you do those scenes without anyone actually getting hurt?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “There is. It’s a low budget film so we’re doing it ourselves. There were a lot of tricks. We tried not to over complicate it. We made sure people felt comfortable. Even though we are moving so fast, we took our time. There was a lot of trust between people that we wouldn’t take it to a point that was dangerous, even if it looked like it.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “If you had to pick the three best aspects of the film, what would they be?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “The best three aspects? My mom’s acting, the soundtrack, and the gritty depiction of Los Angeles. And I have to add a fourth, seeing Michael Parks in action.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “Good choices! I love gritty movies that show the world as we don’t normally see it. Usually, we see Hollywood and LA as this kind of shiny world filled with grandeur.
Michael Parks was an amazing actor. I loved him in From Dusk Till Dawn, Red State, and Tusk. I’m sure everyone will love him in Queen of Hollywood BLVD.  Did he see the completed film before he passed away?”
 

 
Orson Oblowitz: “I have a voicemail from him, the last voicemail from him. ” [Parks impression] I want to check in on how my picture’s doin’. I wanna make sure you’re doin’ it justice.” He got really sick after that. He was one of the best. It was a truly great experience.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “I’m sorry. He was very talented. What was your favorite part of working with him?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “Just watching him, how he would change the set. He was clearly sick and a little frail, but as soon as he got in front of the camera, it was like lightning. He didn’t miss a beat. Just to watch someone whose life has spent that long, being honest in front of a camera was amazing.”
 
Horror Fuel: “Your next film is Hell Is Where the Home Is, will you tell us about it?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “It’s a home invasion thriller. It’s about two dysfunctional couples who go on a getaway trying to get away from life and fix some of their problems. All hell breaks loose in the middle of the night. It’s really about how the violence inside of us may be scarier than the violence outside. It premiered at FrightFest in August. It’s going to be playing the Denver Film Festival the first week in November.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: Who are some of the cast?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “Angela Trimbur, Janel Parrish, Zach Avery, Jonathan Howard, and Fairuza Balk from The Craft and Carlo Rota. It’s a very contained thriller.”
 
Horror Fuel: “It sounds like a great film. I love Balk. The Craft is one of my favorite movies.
Halloween coming up, I’d love to know what’s your favorite part of Halloween.”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “I love Halloween. I’ve already started. I mean I watch horror movies all year but now I have an excuse as to why they can be on all the time. My other favorite part is the music. I love good scary scores and soundtracks. Now it’s acceptable for me to have them blaring all the time.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “What’s your favorite Halloween movie?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “I was just rewatching Black Christmas and it was really amazing, but I think my favorite Halloween movie would have to be Suspiria. I’ve got tickets for a fan’s screening of the new one and I can’t wait.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “Both are great films. Are you one of those people who dress up for Halloween?”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz: “I am. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to be, but I’m thinking a Rabi returned from the grave. I have a big beard and big hair, so I think it would work well.”
 
 
Horror Fuel: “Oh, you should do that. I’m going to be a giant inflatable dinosaur.”
 
 
Orson Oblowitz was a pleasure to talk with. Not only is he a rising writer-director, but he’s also a producer (Corbin Nash), cinematographer and photographer. You’re going to want to keep your eye on him.
Follow The Queen of Hollywood BLVD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, showings, and more.
As soon as the release date for Hell Is Where the Home Is is announced we will be sure to let you know.

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