Director Spotlight: Kevin Lindenmuth
by Angie McKaig

 

Her name is Angie. She's a vampire. And her haunting presence will prey on your mind long after the credits have rolled and the tape has stopped playing. She's the brainchild of director/writer/producer Kevin Lindenmuth, and she stars in both Addicted to Murder (1995) and the 1998 sequel Addicted to Murder II.

Lindenmuth has steadily been making genre features for the past eight years. He's a graduate of University of Michigan's Film and Video Studies program and has been working in the film industry ever since. His first feature, Vampires and Other Stereotypes (re-released under the title Hell's Belles by E.I. Independent Cinema in '97) set the pace for an impressive body of work.

Vampires also appear in two of his best-known features: Addicted to Murder and Addicted to Murder II. Both titles are set in New York City, where Lindenmuth has conducted his work for the past seven years. The vampires in Lindenmuth's universe are dark, immortal, and live for the hunt.

Addicted to Murder is the first in the vampire series and introduces us to Joel, a troubled young man who has befriended a vampire named Rachel. The vampire leads him toward a dark and disturbing life of murder, evil and depravity. Obsessed and brainwashed by Rachel's evil, Joel continues his life of violence for years afterwards, finally meeting another vampire named Angie who tries to finish the job Rachel began - by turning young Joel into a vampire himself.

Disturbing at best, this film takes you into a world of psychosis and vampirism the likes of which few have known. It is particularly gory but also disturbing on an emotional and psychological level. The film is peppered with "interviews" -- everyone from friends and family of Joel's to vampire and psychology experts have their say. These interviews are an effective device and tend to bring the viewer back to reality just before they sink too far into Joel's world. In all, a great start to this series.

Far from being a typical sequel, Addicted to Murder II actually acts as more of a prequel to the original feature. We learn that Angie and Rachel are actually sisters in the vampire underground in NYC that Lindenmuth details. More back story on Joel (and the two sisters as well) clears up any confusion from the first film. We are introduced to new vampires as well, and learn that they can live for centuries. We also get the opportunity to watch Angie entice yet another human into the vampire fold by way of Trisha, a young woman who despite her somewhat innocent appearance, makes an excellent apprentice.

Addicted to Murder 2 is absolutely excellent. It raises the series from good to an outstanding contribution to the genre. The music (provided by Alucarda) sets the mood perfectly. Lindenmuth's style has matured enough to make this film compelling enough to stand on its own from the series - although you'll enjoy the series much more if you see both films, as they tend to "feed" one another.

Many directors take a stab at the vampire genre, but few revisit the theme in future films. Recently I had the opportunity to ask Kevin why he has returned to the vampire time and again in his films. Here's what he had to say:

"I think it's because of Dark Shadows. I was born in '65 so I was 3-5 when I watched the show and it made quite an impression. Also, I had several relatives (father, uncle, grandmother) who took me to quite a few horror movies when I was young. The Return of Count Yorga really sticks in my mind, particularly all those slow motion shots of his "brides". Also, vampires are really fascinating creatures--I think most people have vampiric qualities about them. If you've ever been around someone who literally drains you of energy you know what I'm talking about. They are like exaggerated versions of people's characteristics and they're not bound by morals. They are free to do what they want, which I think is also appealing. I don't think there can ever be too many vampire movies!"

People are standing up and taking notice of this director's talent. Addicted to Murder was the first micro-budget film ever to be widely distributed through the Blockbuster Video chain. It was instrumental in paving the way for wider distribution (and acceptance) for features produced directly for the home video market. He's also been getting rave reviews from the New York Post, Samhain, and other well-known print 'zines.

Not one to sit still, Lindenmuth has founded a collective of like-minded independent filmmakers from across the United States. He has also written a book entitled Making Movies On Your Own: Practical Talk From Independent Filmmakers. He also is a regular contributor to such magazines as Screem, Cult Movies, World of Fandom, Scan, Draculina, Reel Wild Cinema and the on-line magazine Dark Gallery.

He jokes that in his spare time, he sleeps. One wonders what vivid future films play out in his dreams. We'll have to stay tuned to find out.

 

Director Filmography:

Vampires & Other Stereotypes (1992)
Twisted Tales (1992)
Addicted to Murder (1995)
The Alien Agenda: Out of the Darkness (1996)
The Alien Agenda: Endangered Species (1997)
The Alien Agenda: Under the Skin (1997)
Creaturealm: From the Dead (1998)
Creaturealm: Demons Wake (1998)
There & Back: Interviews with Near-Death Experiencers (1998)
Addicted to Murder II: Tainted Blood (1998)
Walking Between the Raindrops (1998)

 

 

.