Review Fix Exclusive: Amanda Goodman Talks ‘You Only Die Once’

Review Fix chats with Amanda Goodman who discusses her new web series, “You Only Die Once.” A self-described Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Goodman talks about the wild and fun production, her creative process and goals for the future as well.

Review Fix: How was this series born?

Amanda Goodman: The series is an adaptation of my award winning short horror comedy film of the same name that we shot nearly a year ago. The idea for the film came as I was watching retrospects on the horror genre and came across a segment on the old Hammer horror films of the 1970’s. I loved how unique they were and wanted to experiment with doing something like that but set in the current time we live in, and more so to turn the tables on how women were usually portrayed in those films. Horror of Dracula was the main one. The story of Dracula in itself, while beautifully written and often gorgeously portrayed in various film adaptations, doesn’t really portray women in a positive or inspiring light. They are easily manipulated, and when they themselves are turned into the same evil as the main villain, they are destroyed because it is unacceptable to give in to one’s sexual desires, especially as a woman. But for good old Drac, it’s cool. So I thought I’d put a funny modern spin on it. We shot the film and after it premiered, people were (excuse the terrible 1st of many bad vampire puns in this interview) “craving” more.

Review Fix: What makes this series special?

Goodman: Our characters are real, funny, and flawed. Most importantly, they are driven by their relationships and conflicts with one another. It isn’t just vampires…run or boy meets girl blah blah blah! Our main goal is giving women in horror (as well as film in general) more of a unique voice outside of being a “scream queen” or “final girl and to explore their relationships with each other.”We are not only a show driven by the female characters, but also 90% of our crew is female. Getting this show-up and running from its inception to the funding process, and all the way through the post was extremely difficult. We fought against all the odds and carried on with a very ambitious production with very limited resources. But we achieved greatness (and hopefully, people will feel comedy gold) because of the tremendous talents working on our set. They all truly believed in this quirky comedy horror show that shows women can kick ass, even if they’re also updating their Facebook statuses while doing so….#SlayLife

Review Fix: What was the feeling like on set?

Goodman: At times tough because we were working at the level of a show that would normally warrant a $50,000+ budget on not even half that. But the hard work that everyone put in despite it all, truly shows in the final product, and that is a direct result of the positive environment we created on our set. Our blooper reel is out of this world because everyone on set was so positive and hardworking that even when we were behind schedule if the actors had to break character and laugh, the entire set laughed with them. We bonded during our toughest moments. I have memories I will never forget.

Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it most?

Goodman: I think everyone can find something to enjoy about YODO. We hit upon a nostalgia for horror comedies from the 80s (such as Fright Night, The Lost Boys, and Evil Dead) but we also speak to today’s generation, especially young women who need role models to look up to. Our female characters are all different from one another and we hope audiences will laugh with them, fear for them, and ultimately connect to them. Plus who doesn’t love a good old fashioned 80s styled practical SFX death scene here and there?

Review Fix: What makes the cast stand out?

Goodman: The cast is made up of working TV, film, and improv actors here in NYC. I wrote this project for actors I knew. So the dialogue and the qualities that make them unique and effect how they take action is directly connected to who these actors are and what their essence is. They are so funny and good at what they do. As a filmmaker, I feel so blessed to be able to have them bring this world I’ve created to life. And as a fellow actor, I love getting to play alongside them.

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like? What inspires you?

Goodman: My creative process comes from a place of play. As a writer, I think about what stories and worlds that I want to play with/in. Obviously, the horror genre has always been my go-to. There is something so intriguing and inspiring about how some of the great horror minds in the genre’s history (Dario Argento, Wes Craven, David Cronenberg) have created such inventive cinematic worlds. And although the genre has been primarily dominated by men, let’s not forget that one of the best vampire movies to come out of the 80s was not only directed by a woman, but that of the only woman to win an Academy Award, the incredible Kathryn Bigelow (if that’s not inspiring, I don’t know what is.) Back to the visuals: the bedroom ceiling death scene (or I guess every death scene) in the original “A Nightmare on Elm Street” Is nothing short of extraordinary. Italian cinema is also a big one for me. Suspiria is not just a film, but an experience. So for me, I try to create stories that take what I love about films like that but put real characters that I feel I and the audience of today can connect with. And then I sprinkle in my own brand of tone specificity (I have a very twisted sense of humor), and voila….a bloody cocktail fits for any lover of a good story.

Review Fix: What’s next?

Goodman: After our release on May 30th, we’re hoping for a season 2! The second season is outlined, now we just need to sort the rest out and hope audiences “thirst” (ugh…I know) for more. I also have several screenplays and series in development, all with the same women in the genre goal in mind. Can’t wait to see what bloody fun the future holds.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Goodman: Check out You Only Die Once when it premieres on YouTube on May 30th. You can stay up to date on all things YODO by following us on Twitter & Instagram @YodoSeries.

 

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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