Excitement and suspense filled my studio this week with the tenacious and successful Screenplay Writer, Kevin Mosley. Behind a mischievous grin, Kevin is alert to every nuance and sensation within the circumference of his sphere. His energy field is huge. Kevin does not miss anything. This attention to detail and heightened sense of awareness is what Kevin brings to his screenplay and story writing. His words create visuals of tangible sweat, guaranteed to make you hold your breath in thrilling expectation for what happens next? Kevin says that he is “a huge Stephen King fan. I grew up reading his books and he has had a big influence on me. My dream job is to adapt one of his books. I also read a lot of Peter Straub, Whitley Strieber, John Saul and Clive Barker.” After reading Kevin’s most recent screenplay the director remarked that the quality was so good that he felt like he had just watched the movie! Kevin is pictured in front of my original painting Two Souls on a Moonbeam.
In an interview with horrornews.net reporter, Janel Spiegel (2016), Kevin describes Suspension produced and directed by Jeffery Scott Lando, a short film he made as a teenager growing up in Merritt, British Columbia as a “Carrie meets Halloween, two of my favorite horror films. It was a balancing act as to how much information to reveal to the audience, while still keeping the mystery intact. Some people will catch on immediately, some have no clue until the end. Even if people figured out what was happening early on, I still wanted them to have fun with the film. It’s very much a psychological thriller wrapped up in a slasher movie package.” Franchesca Lantz, Director of Creative Affairs & Acquisitions at After Dark Films, said about the film, “Lock your doors, the creepy creativity and wicked imagination oozing from this film will get you.” Suspension won the Los Angeles, CA (2015) 5th spot in Courtney Solomon’s ‘8 Films to Die For’ by After Dark Films.
Kevin shared that he “was lucky to grow up in the 70’s and got to see all the horror movies in the theatre when they came out. I was nine when I saw the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I would beg my parents to take me to all the horror movies that came to town. They took me to a few then stopped, so then I would stand outside our local theatre and ask some willing adult to get me in. Like any other horror movie fan, Halloween had a huge influence on me as well as Carrie, The Shining, The Omen, Rosemary Baby, The Exorcist, etc. I got to watch my favorite directors like Wes Craven, John Carpenter, George Romero, Brian DePalma, David Cronenberg, Roman Polanski, Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg. Those are the guys that made me want to make movies. I love the horror films from the 70’s. They were story and character driven and they managed to capture an atmosphere that is hard to replicate today. Also, the horror genre has been done to death over the last couple decades and as a writer, it is challenging to come up with original stuff.”
However, Kevin’s mind is an endless idea flood of original creativity. As the screenplay writer for Savage Island (2004) produced and directed by Jeffery Lando (Syfy’s ‘Decoys 2’, ‘House of Bones’, ‘Haunted High’) he pits neighbours against each other in bloody gore. Savage Island went on to win seven awards, including four best picture awards at film festivals across the U.S. and Europe. It was then acquired by Shoreline Entertainment for U.S. and international distribution and established Kevin as an “up and coming new talent in the horror genre” as reported by Fangoria Magazine. As the screenplay writer and story writer for the horror comedy movie Puppet Killer (2017), directed by Lisa Ovies, Kevin makes you think twice before taking your cute furry puppets on a Christmas cabin vacation into the deep woods. Puppet Killer is a psychologically layered movie with horror suspense, as teenagers are targeted by a horror movie icon obsessed psychotic killer, who follows their every move. Nailbiting! Get your “scare on” and watch the trailer. I dare you.
Kevin’s advice for aspiring screenplay writers is to always present your work in a hard copy format. Believing that the energy of the words on the page are very powerful and will be felt in the hands of producers and directors. He says that you must not be afraid to let people read your material.
As menacing and chilling as Kevin can make his characters behave on celluloid, Kevin has a deep appreciation for respect, love, romance, life, and the magic of Disney. I was delighted when Kevin chose to be photographed in front of my romantic fantasy painting Two Souls on a Moonbeam. Life is a sharing, and Kevin says, “that we need to be speaking into other peoples listening, to get things done and created into existence. Write down your words and get them out into the universe!” I hope Stephen King is listening.