Patrick Durham
If you know me, you know that I'm a huge horror fan, especially 80s horror films.
So when I had the opportunity to interview Patrick Durham, I jumped through fire hoops to pin him down!
Cross Wars is Patrick's latest project which was released on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download on February 7th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Patrick wrote, produced and directed the film which is an offbeat, action-packed sequel to CROSS. The superhero adventure stars Brian Austin Green, Vinnie Jones, Danny Trejo and Tom Sizemore.
Here’s the synopsis: Straight from the comics to the mean streets of Los Angeles…armed with a powerful ancient Cross amulet, Callan (Brian Austin Green) and his team of weapons experts battle local thugs and heinous criminals. When a ruthless villain named Muerte (Danny Trejo) threatens to kill Callan’s crew, he and his team join forces with an all-girl crime-fighting squad led by Riley -- who has an ancient amulet of her own! But Muerte is not working alone. He has resurrected the evil immortal Gunnar (Vinnie Jones) who has a plan more sinister than anyone can imagine. Can Callan prevent the looming apocalypse and save humanity? It’s enough to make a superhero all stressed out!
Ha! Gotta love it, right??
Being a huge fan of Stephen King, Patrick produced a major fan-favorite, in 2009. Warner Brother’s “CREEPSHOW RAW” which stems from Stephen King’s film CREEPSHOW.
Soon after that, Patrick teamed with legendary director Charlie Picerni, and Hollywood royalty Frank Capra III, in the film THE BLEEDING.. In 2010, Patrick produced THE KILLING JAR, and was one of four producers behind the animated comedic film, BIG BUG MAN featuring the voices of Brendan Fraser and Marlon Brando. It was Brando's last known film performance.
Moving into action films in 2010, Patrick executive produced the action film FOUR ASSASSINS starring Miguel Ferrer and Will Yun Lee. The film won the Gold award for best thriller at the 44th Annual WorldFest in Houston. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival later that year. His action franchise CROSS is distributed by SONY and available in all formats all over the world.
What went through your mind on the day of the release?
First and foremost, that kids enjoy it. It has very little to no profanity and no nudity, so families can enjoy it without having to sensor the film. Second, that the viewers quickly realize that we weren’t making the Godfather. We were making a campy and fun super hero film that stays inside the comic book world.
Why did you decide to do a sequel to Cross? Was that always the plan?
My partners, Jonathan Sachar and Gary Williams, and I always planned to do a trilogy. It seems that to tell a full story, it would take three films do accomplish that. We got a lot of fan mail from every country on earth about the first Cross film, so it seemed that people enjoyed it.
At what point in your life did you realize you loved the horror genre? What's your favorite 80s horror flick?
My favorite horror flicks were of course, Halloween, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street. [NOTE FROM AUTHOR: Hello! Elm Street is one of my faves, too! Hi Robert Englund!]
You're currently working as Executive Producer on a film called GentlemenX.
I’m actually a producer on this film with one of my partners, Gary Williams, who created Gentlemen X. He is the writer/producer/director.
You worked with Amber Benson in The Killing Jar (2010). Please share a story you have with Amber Benson!
Amber of course was one the series leads on Buffy. Which was such a mega huge success. Amber has serious chops. She knows what to do even before the director ask her to do it. She’s a total pro and a wonderful and kind person.
What hobbies would you choose to do if you had the time?
My favorite hobbies are riding mountain bikes, flying planes and racing cars.
What was the worst and best part of working on Cross Wars?
The worst part of Cross Wars is the day it ends. I was lucky enough to have the best cast and crew in the business. Everyone worked long days and nights and they were always happy to be there. They showed up early and left late daily. Incredible people. Truly.
What did you do for a living before show business?
My buddy and I had an Audio/Video business. We designed and installed high end televisions and stereos in Los Angeles. It was a blast. Plus we got to meet a lot of great people... not to mention getting to work in Malibu and Santa Monica.
Anything else you'd like to say?
Shout out to my buddies the Peeples brothers, the Campbells and Carpenters, the Stoller brothers, the Spinks brothers, Matt, Tristan, Reeves, Trejo, Vinnie, Tanner, Mark, Paul, Justin and everyone that made these films possible. It was absolutely a fun and concentrated effort to reach the finish line.