Dave Conte plays the complaining, mother's boy, geek Albert in Mother's Day. I sent Dave a series of interview questions asking about himself, his character in the film, and the production. Here's what he had to say
So, Dave, what was your first scary movie?
My first scary movie that I can remember actually scaring me would have to be Scream.
Did it really scare you?
Yes. I had never seen full-blown knife-into-human carnage before, so it was pretty freaky to see it like that.
Were you one of those kids who once you had the experience of seeing a horror film you could hardly wait to see another?
Honestly, not really. I wasn’t hugely into horror movies at first. The only horror movie I really wanted to see after Scream was Scream 2. After that, I don’t remember when I got back into horror, but at one point in my life between Scream 2 and today, horror movies became a favorite pastime of mine.
Are you a fan of Friday the 13th?
Well, considering I lived with Cory Stevens for 2 1/2 years, it was a safe bet that I would eventually get roped into the saga. So, to answer your question, yes.
Which Friday the 13th film was your favorite?
It’s a toss-up between Part 6, Part 9, and Freddy vs. Jason. Part 6 is the most solid and consistent film, with some really great kills, a good story, and Jason becoming immortal, which rules. Part 9, while off-beat, has a neat premise and has my all-time favorite kill of the series, which involved a road sign impaling during a really hot sex scene. Meanwhile, Freddy vs. Jason is just plain fun. I can’t pick just one, since all three of those have their own strong points.
Before getting the part of Albert in Mother's Day had you read any of the Eric Morse Friday the 13th novels?
Negative. I had only heard of the books through Cory after I read his very first draft of Mother’s day back in 2004.
Though Mother's Day is a Friday the 13th film, the character of Jason Voorhees does not appear in the film. How does this change this story and make it different from the others?
Well it changes the story because it doesn’t have the man himself, but it’s still essentially the same formula. Same story, different man behind the mask. However, I like the fact that Jason’s curse is affecting people like it did with the Hunter. It’s a nifty twist to the already cool story.
Was the lack of Jason a detriment, or an advantage, or did it make any difference?
I thought of it as an advantage. The supernatural definitely interests me, and this curse that Jason has over people through his mask is a cool story element. Also, I have a soft-spot for the Jim Carrey movie The Mask, so I like to think of Mother’s Day as the R-rated version.
What was it about the script for Mother's Day that made you want to take part in this production?
The fact that the name “Cory Stevens” fell under the words “written by”
In regard to your character, Albert, what was it about the character that drew you to take up the part?
Well, I’m always 100% game to help Cory out on anything he works on. I had only acted in one thing prior to this, and that was one of his Jason spoofs, Jason’s Revenge. Albert drew me in because of two reasons – One, Albert is my middle name, and two, the character is like me except a whole lot lamer. Bearing that in mind, I figured it would be fun to play myself but geeked up a bit.
Is there some aspect of Albert that you see in yourself?
Oh definitely. He is me taken to a new level. His shyness towards hot women, his hatred for the outdoors, his awkwardness, the way he just got roped into going to this haunted friggin campground, that’s all me baby. I took myself and my own hatred for camping and channeled it into my performance, and it worked pretty well apparently.
As you are probably aware fans compare Albert to the character of Shelly in F13 Part3. Do you have any thoughts on this?
That’s to be expected, since I am the loser of the bunch. Oh well, at least I’m not as fat and retarded as Shelly.
Was there a certain scene or incident during the production that stands out in your mind?
Let’s see, I’d say the weekend-destroying monsoon of death sticks out the best. The monsoon was literally a nightmare. It was like something out of a movie. You know how you can tell when there is a rain machine pumping out rain onto a set to make it look like a rainstorm? Yeah, it was like that, except real and devastating. The most memorable part would be when I was sitting in the soft-top Jeep and the top caved in and spilt rainwater all over my dick because the water built up so much and so fast. I’ve never seen Cory yell “Fuck you, God” but I think it was warranted this time around.
During every production there is usually one person that is the stand out person. Was there anyone on the crew of Mother's Day that you felt was this person?
I’d say Kendel Sayer stood out for me the most. He was seriously a workhorse. He kicked ass all throughout production, cooked for us, moved equipment back and forth, and really just livened up the production, giving people nickname, saying stupid and hilarious shit, and making the experience a whole lot better overall.
Do you think that if Mother's Day is a success and the fans show support that there will be more adaptations of Friday the 13th novels in the future?
That’s insider information, and I’m not at liberty to reveal that. In other words, maybe. We’ll see how this one turns out. Let’s just say that if a sequel does happen, it will be absolutely decadent.
Finally, what would you like to see in the future of Friday the 13th?
Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash. Anything else can go straight to hell.