In this Indie Chat exclusive, indie horror producer P.J. Starks talks about some of his most recent works, including New Fears Eve (starring Felissa Rose and Dave Sheridan) and the upcoming films The Last Sleepover and the trilogy-capper The Barn Part III.

P.J., I am very excited to talk to you about some of your projects and career. I feel this is a great time for independent horror.

How did you get involved in horror? Who were your favorite actors and films in the genre?

P.J.: Thank you so much for the opportunity. Yea, I grew up on horror. It’s been part of my viewing ever since I can remember. My love for the genre started with Ghostbusters and The Monster Squad. The fascination and interest grew from there. Of course, I graduated to harder stuff as time went on like Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Evil Dead or The Thing. It’s safe to say I re-rented a lot of the same movies. Friday the 13^th sequels, C.H.U.D. and Return of the Living Dead were basically on repeat in my house. I wore out those VHS.

I can’t say I had any favorite actors growing up. It was more about my favorite filmmakers and the characters that inhabited their narratives. I pretty much grew up on a steady diet of Carpenter, Craven, Hooper and Romero.

You recently produced New Fears Eve, which stars Dave Sheridan, Felissa Rose, and Jeffrey Reddick. What was it like working with three giants of the genre on that film and can you give us a background on how the project came about?

P.J.: The overall concept for NFE was my brainchild and by proxy I wrote the script. I co-own Blood Moon Pictures along with my producing partner and good friend Eric Huskisson. We were in the middle of making 13 Slays Till X-Mas when New Fears Eve popped into my head. I pitched an early idea to Eric, of course he told me to shut up and focus on one movie at a time [laughs]. But it was Eric who suggested NFE as our next project and the rest is history.

Dave was a laugh as Mr. Dugan and nailed the role. He was always going off script, which kept the other actors on their toes. Before filming, during pre-production Dave, and I would hop on the phone for a couple of hours just to talk about movies and life. I’d get off the phone thinking, “I can’t believe I just spent the last couple hours talking to Special Officer Doofy” [laughs]. The fact he’s reprising that role in Scary Movie 6 with our film having just come out is very surreal. Felissa and I met through a mutual friend, but she and I have become friends since filming NFE. She is so kind, generous and fun to be around. The woman has a toddler’s level of energy. Her enthusiasm on set is infectious. Jeffrey and I were already friends going back to 2016. I asked him to do a cameo in 13 Slays, which became the precursor to him wanting to work with us in a bigger way. Jeffrey’s great and being on set with him was awesome. He was very easy to direct and was integral to us securing distribution for the film with Cinerverse. Working with all three of them was unique, but the friendships that have come out of meeting them are something I’ll always cherish.

You’re also producing a few upcoming films, The Last Sleepover, and The Barn Part III. Can you give us a bit of a background on those films and what to expect?

P.J.: I’m a sucker for slasher films. They’re my favorite sub-genre. The Last Sleepover is a revenge-based hack and slash. The script exudes 90s horror, which sold me almost immediately. It’s not a throwback per say, but it very much gives off the vibes of I Know What You Did Last Summer. The original draft I read was a little lean on the gore, so I gave the kills an overhaul and threw some notes/suggestions at them. Greg and Austin have a great group of people working on the project. It also gave me an excuse to work with Felissa again. When I was on set her and I got to hang out and spend time together, which wasn’t the case on New Fears Eve as there was so much that needed to be accomplished over the course of three days. TLS is going to be a fun movie. It has a cool, stylized killer. I think slasher fans will dig it. We’re currently working on scheduling for the third and final block of filming which should be taking place soon.

The Barn Part III is the final installment of Justin Seaman’s Halloween themed throwback franchise. This one is going to be fucking bonkers. Eric and I are both producing so we went to help on set back in ’24 for around eight days. It was mostly long nights of filming in corn fields or dilapidated barns, but seeing the insane monster effects and kills made it all worth it. I helped Justin secure both Felissa and Courtney Gains for the project. We got to work with Courtney while on set which was cool. It was great getting to see him in his element. If you’re already a fan of the films, this installment will be icing on the cake. If you haven’t seen the first two check them out because they’re a ton of fun.

Independent horror has been on the rise for quite some time now. And I think it’s been gaining a bigger following amongst past and present generations. What’s your thought on that?

P.J.: Horror has definitely grown in popularity over the past 15 years. Even though it always had a legion of fans. With horror becoming a staple on television by offering more mainstream audiences the chance to experience it and with the advent of streaming, horror has become more digestible than ever. Every studio and every platform is offering various kinds of original or classic horror content. That’s helped peak interest in those who may not normally go out of their way to rent or pick up something in the genre. That ease of access is making new horror fans both young and old.

Are there any recent horror films you would recommend to fans (aside from the ones you’re involved in)?

P.J.: Some recent horror films I’ve watched and enjoyed are Weapons, The Rule of Jenny Penn, Abigail, Heretic, Megan 2.0, Cobwebs, Scream 7, Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Home and truthfully, I could go on and on. Two films that are great that no one ever seems to talk about are Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse and the other is called From the Dark, which features one of the creepiest and scariest vampires on film.Lastly, if you haven’t seen Where Evil Lurks, please do yourself the pleasure of checking it out as it’s one of the best and unsettling horror films I’ve seen in a very long time.

Are there any genre actors who you haven’t worked with yet but would love to?

P.J.: I’ve been fortunate to work with some icons including Dee Wallace, Lisa Wilcox and Joe Bob Briggs. I have a long list of actors I’d love to work with. Johnny Depp is from my hometown so getting him in a cameo would pretty sweet. The hope is New Fears Eve 2 will be our next project. Several actors have been thrown around for roles who have Kentucky ties such as Steve Zahn and Michael Shannon. Even Skeet Ulrich reportedly owns land here in our state. All we need now is a rich horror loving doctor with expendable income to fall into our laps… metaphorically speaking [laughs].

Where can we see New Fears Eve and when can we expect The Last Sleepover and The Barn Part III?

P.J.: New Fears Eve is on streaming. It’s a balls to the wall slasher comedy, so if you like crude humor and elaborate practical deaths then you’ll love our new flick. It’s available through Screambox, Amazon Prime, Roku Channel, Plex, Fandango at Home and others. The Barn Part III is preparing for its big Pittsburgh Premiere on March 23^rd, followed by a festival run with a projected release in fall of this year. I’m thinking The Last Sleepover will come out sometime in early ’27.

P.J., it’s been a pleasure to get to know you and I am looking forward to checking out these films. Thanks again and stay awesome!