LEGLESS CORPSE: How long have you had the idea for JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE?

PAUL TARNOPOL: Since 2012. We were finishing up GIRLS GONE DEAD and I happened to see one of the season premiers of Jersey Shore. I quickly learned more about the TV show and I thought it would be a really fun idea to put these types of characters into a classic slasher scenario.

LC: Were you a fan of the TV series or was this kind of a pun on it?

PT: No I was not a fan. I really didn’t watch it until I decided to consider it for a screenplay. Basically what I did, I spent an entire weekend just watching episode after episode to see what it was all about.

LC: Your actors seemed to be having a good time portraying their characters. I’m guessing there were a lot of good times on set. Any particular moments that stick out?

PT: There’s nothing better than when a scene goes right and you know it looks good and everything. It was a lot of fun with Sal (Governale), Richard (Christy), Bigfoot, and Ron Jeremy on the set. But most of the actors, the main cast, they were perfect. They were all hard workers that had such good humor. They enjoyed their roles. They stayed in character the whole month we were shooting. It was tough, we had six locations to do in twenty-eight days, I believe. So it was a hard production. The humor was there though.

LC: Would you say working within a short time frame on a smaller budget was your biggest obstacle?

PT: Time and daylight. For example we’re here in Miami and we wanted to shoot the movie in the New York / New Jersey area. One thing we didn’t calculate was the daylight difference. So in the summertime in New York it gets light really early in the morning. So quite often we’d be rushing to get those last shots in before the sun came up.

LC: The decision to go with practical effects was one of charms of the film. What kind of challenges did you face going practical?

PT: Practical effects take a lot more time. But I really think it was worth it. I’m not a big fan of CGI. Normally CGI takes me right out of a film. So to me it was important to go practical. We had a fantastic effects artist who actually won an award for the work on the film at the Freakshow Horror Film Festival.

LC: How was working with JWOWW? Was she a little leery of the project or was she all for it?

PT: She’s fantastic. I really didn’t expect her to be so good at this. She really stepped up and she has a great team around her. She’s totally into the project and loves it. I would have no problem working with her again in the future.

LC: What other projects do you have coming up?

PT: Once I catch my breath, I’m working on a concept with Sal and Richard from the Howard Stern Show. More of a Science Fiction comedy based in the South, in the swamps of Louisiana. But as soon as I take a rest, we’ll start working on and exploring that.

LC: Do you see a JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE sequel if this one goes well?

PT: It’s possible. I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m not thinking about it.

Paul Tarnopol Talks JERSEY SHORE MASSACRE