By Danny Valle

Later this year Steve Balderson will release his latest film, Watch Out, based on Joseph Suglia's controversial novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Jonathan Barrows (as played by Matt Riddlehoover), a man who falls in love with his own image and then goes on to develop an erotic relationship with a blow-up doll simulacrum of himself. To make matters worse, Jonathan is uncannily charismatic and is hit on wherever he goes — an obvious nuisance for someone so self-involved. Our narcissist eventually goes on to assassinate the world's most popular pop-diva (Hint: she's managed to stay out of the headlines recently) — but not before going through a series of ordeals that are sure to leave viewers stunned. I caught up with Mr. Balderson — a director who has received critical acclaim for his previous projects such as Firecracker and Pep Squad — and grilled him about his life and projects.

Balderson is a Kansas native and admits that he used to be turned off by L.A. “I thought it was surface oriented and narrow-minded.” He says. “It is, but once I figured out that I didn't need it in order to make films, then I wasn't afraid of it anymore. It's like the monster was diminished. When I was in film school I couldn't imagine working at Sony and going into that mammoth complex, but last week I was there to meet with the sound guy for Watch Out and it was such a weird night and day difference to have that experience while knowing that I was doing my own thing — because it doesn't really matter where you are.”

Balderson had some interesting experiences while studying at the acclaimed Cal Arts college in Valencia, California. He recalls that it was a purposely unstructured environment, one where students had sex in the hallways and the swimming pool was a clothing optional zone. When he and a friend donned Versace vestments and rode a motorcycle through the campus halls, it didn't even raise an eyebrow. After all was said and done, Balderson often skipped classes — stating that he was actually hungry for some structure. “I wanted to make movies. That was part of the reason why I wasn't very interested with what was going on in school and why I just did my own thing.”  

One thing I immediately liked about Balderson was his extreme honesty. He admitted that when he first read Joseph Suglia's Watch Out he didn't really understand it, but that on January 1st — about eight months later — he woke from a dream and it all just seemed to click. “I realized that this was the protagonist's story and that it was his reality of what had transpired in his life. The experiences may or may not have been real, but they were real to him. That attracted me.”

Films are expensive, so typically a director needs the support of a financial backer or a studio in order to get a film made. For Balderson, though, the process is very different. “I've built my own studio, so we can finance films ourselves — and I love that. Had you taken the story of Watch Out to anyone, they would have rejected it based just on the deranged level of insanity. If I had to answer to financiers or was worried about my career and future job prospects, I don't think anyone would have let me do it even if I wanted to — but luckily I don't have to deal with any of that.”

Watch Out was shot in Walmego, Kansas and took about three weeks to film. It was done guerilla-style — meaning, without any official permits. Balderson said that the entire process went very smoothly and that shooting ended at around five or six o'clock each day, allowing the cast to hang out, throw BBQ's, and — as he puts it — “sing Kumbaya.”

Many of Balderson's films walk a fine line between being amusing and being disturbing, but it's from the stories themselves that the director draws his inspiration. “When you're dealing with subjects that are really hard to approach, you can sometimes suck people in with farce, humor, satire, or dark comedy. If you can lure someone in that way — and then beat them over the head with a serious moment — they actually get a little scarred in their spirit, such that down the road they're still remembering that movie. That's what I love. I don't know if it will impact anyone's life for the better or make them look at the world any differently, but I'm here to provide a journey to the people who are willing to take it. And if they do — great.”

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