I ask about the role of sound and music in Lawrence Jordan's film, especially Our Lady of the Sphere. Lawrence was kind enough to give a wonderfully thorough answer! 

You can find out more about the work of Lawrence Jordan at lawrencecjordan.com/

Apple Lane is a fun horror flick that plays out in the fashion of some of those classic 1980s VHS horror films. Director Mike Laflower was kind enough to answer some of our questions!

Apple Lane's a horror film that is incredibly intelligent. What horror flicks made an impression on you?
Well as a young 9 year old, I would watch scary movies that my older brother and his wife would rent. The one that stuck the most and gave me nightmare for years to come was the 1980's cult horror flick, "Dolls They Walk They Talk and They Kill!"
A couple others that made me love horror was, Return of the Living Dead, Evil Dead and House, ding dong you're dead!:) All of these are just a few that made me love all things horror!

The music in Apple Lane certainly helps to establish the tone and mood. As a director, how to you go about working figuring out the proper tonal concepts for score and soundtrack?
The music that I chose was kinda limited since I didn't have a budget to buy music for the film. So I searched all over the net looking for just the right background music that I felt would fit perfectly! I would watch the clip and match up the right music that I felt gave me chills or that certain feeling that puts you in the position of the characters in that moment of terror or suspense. Took hours and hours to make it just right to my liking! Since I was also the video editor, I did it in the comfort of my own home!

What's your philosophy on the use of sex and violence in horror? Do you have a conscious idea of how much is too much?
I think that sexual concept is almost a must in all horror films. Whether it's just showing a little skin, or sexual gesture, it goes hand in hand. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should be rated triple xxx or anything, but is relevant to the genre. I believe using sex in horror films is attractive to most horror film junkies to keep them excited and on the edge of their seat!

Tell us a bit about your team? Do you have a regular cast and crew? What do you look for first in your actors?
I didn't really have a crew, I had a few friends and even a couple of the actors that would help me out in set. When I started this project I dive head first right into it. I came up with the idea when I worked in Mayfield, Ky. I drove past an old abandoned lane (Apple Lane) that spiked me out and interested me. Finally I drove down it to look around and it just made the hair stand up on my neck. After about 3 years passed, I decided to write a story about, fiction obviously, then write three acts and gave it to a friend to write the screenplay. After months of preproduction, we finally came up with enough money to start filming! I put a Craigslist ad up and found the perfect 16 actors to fill the parts. Some came from Nashville, Bowling Green, northern Indiana and even local Louvillians in Louisville, Ky.
All the actors fit right in with my vision perfectly!