Todd Falcon Interview

Hi Todd, how are you doing?

 

I am doing great because my girlfriend Layla is the most amazing girl I have ever had the honor of being with and I am working on writing my next horror film that I will direct hopefully in 2013!  Thanks for asking!

 

 

 

Who are you?

 

My explanation of who I am:  My life is a movie.  I am bizarre, artsy, wacky, weird and every day life is a movie, every moment, every frame.  My purpose is to create as much art as possible and this includes directing and acting in as many feature films as possible, inventing as many tricks as I can come up with, recording the most music I can compose, etc.  Art and personal expression is everything.

 

 

 

How long have you been skating for?

 

I have been skating for over 20 years now.

 

 

Where do you live?

 

I live in Texas and it's insanely hot here most of the year.

 

 

You had a trick in some of the Tony Hawk video games, right?

 

My trick the "Falconslide" is a playable move in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4/Underground, etc.

 

 

How did it end up there?

 

Neversoft contacted me with interest in licensing my moves and that was the trick they chose ultimately.

 

 

Which tricks did you invent?

 

I had to get out my typed list from 2003 to remember some of these: 

 

Falconstomp (2012 Trick - Flying jump into a 1 footed Darkstomp flip-over), Falconslide (one footed darkslide), Falconplant (Fakie Ollie to No Handed See-Saw Footplant Jump In), Lemon Drop (Falconplant 1/2 flip catch board on bottom side and jump in), Boomerang, Big Bird (FS Boneless 360 Varial Airwalk), Superman, Globetrotter, Angelplant, Big Brother, Blizzard (Kickflip to Boomerang), Stage Dive, Viral, Tae Bo, Kung Pao, Falconflip, Falconrock, Cannibal Plant, Hackeysack, 1 Footed 5-0 Grind (1988), Rockette (1 Footed rock to fakie), Whirlwind, Tornado (Fakie ollie Boomerang), Rembrandt, Quickstep Grind, Pretzel, Zombie (Tail stall to Falconplant), Whammy, Whirlybird, Tsunami, Banana Plant, Bitch Grind (FS 360 1 Footed Nosegrind), Bunnyhop, Tail Grab Boneless (1988), Boneless 360 Varial to Primo, Fakie 360 Flip to Frontside Primo, Death Blunt, Earthquake, Karate Kid, Falconwalk, ESplant, Flippo, Spiderman, Suicide, Nosevert, Eggroll, Blunt to Primo,  Darkplant (Invert to Falconstomp), Armageddon, Firefly just to name a few.  A lot of these tricks can be seen on my DVDs such as Candyland, 2001: A Skate Odyssey and No Logic.

 

 

What trick are you the most proud of inventing?

 

Falconplant because it has given me more variations than any trick in history.

 

 

If you could choose one trick to do perfectly every time. Which trick should it be?

 

Fakie ollie 360 kickflip to Frontside Primo on ramp...that was my ender in No Logic.

 

 

 

´Todd Falcon´sounds pretty cool. Were you born with that name?

 

I added "Falcon" as a stage name in the mid 1980's because I was a HUGE Tony Hawk fan and was paying homage to my favorite skateboarder.

 

 

We have three skaters in Copenhagen called: Easter, Butch and The Pork Chop. Do you like their names?

 

There is nothing wrong with unique and original names..since I do not have a clue why they chose these names it's tough to evaluate.

 

 

Can you tell us a little bit about your new zombie movie?

 

ZOMBIEFIED is the first slasher film/zombie film hybrid.  It was released by Celebrity Entertainment in June on DVD and VOD world-wide.  The reviews have been super good so I am VERY pleased.  It was the most ambitious project I have taken on throughout my 20 year directing career.  The story is different and original and does not play like all the other zombie films out there.  A serial killer has the ability to turn people into zombies and he also kills those who he feels necessary to kill.  It's all about mind control and it is non-stop action, pretty brutal and intense throughout.  I am a huge slasher film fan and decided to make Friday the 13th with zombies in it basically.  I was going for a John Carpenter/George Romero/Lucio Fulci kind of creation.

 

 

 

Is there any skating in it?

 

There is a skateboarding scene but I can't say what happens...check it out!

 

 

Do zombies and skaters have anything in common?

 

They are both unstoppable and have a constant appetite.

 

 

How did you get into the zombie business?

 

I have been directing horror films since 1992 so that has always been my career.  My first and foremost love in life is acting, writing and directing as well as music and composing.  Zombiefied is my 19th feature film and the one I am most proud of.  All of the other earlier films were shot in a completely different style and I went for a very camp feel in the older ones, not taking them seriously but having fun creating them.  Zombiefied marks my change in feel and style and each film will get successively more brutal, dark, ugly and even disturbing.

 

 

What´s the most important advice for surviving a Zombie Apocalypse? 

 

Build a space shuttle and store it with a lifetime supply of food and leave Earth.

 

 

Do you like the Walking Dead tv series?

 

I have only seen one episode.  I am always too busy being involved in film projects to watch much tv.  I rarely ever do and when I do, I mostly watch my favorite 80's horror films.

 

 

I´ve always been a big fan of the underwater zombie attack in Zombi 2. Do you like that too?

 

That is actually Lucio Fulci's ZOMBI.  It was retitled Zombi 2 because of Romero's Dawn of the Dead getting released as Zombi in Italy.  I LOVE all Fulci films...the shark/zombie scene was one of the most original elements ever in a zombie film and he did that one in 1979.  I own Zombi in all it's variations on VHS, DVD, etc.  It's a truly gritty, ugly zombie film and I draw a lot of inspiration from Fulci.

 

 

 

Have you thought about making a scene with an underwater skate zombie attack?

 

That would be funny...and VERY difficult to do...I figure the comedy zombie writers would find a way for that kind of scene haha!

 

 

Do you mostly skate alone?

 

These days, yes....

 

 

How much do you skate?

 

Hardly at all because of my film career...

 

 

How can we learn the Falcon Stomp?

 

The FalconStomp is the most requested trick tip which is cool since it's a new trick.  Learn by placing the board upside down right underneath you and place your foot in the center (or slightly off-center) of the board.  Your other leg should be up.  Put some weight on your heel and then thrust forward very hard from heel to toe until you can make the board half flip back over.  Once you learn that, it's a matter of taking a high and long running jump and fly into the move, landing down on the heel and rolling forward quickly to get the board to pop over all the way or up into Primo which is tougher.

 

 

Who are you favourite pro skaters?

 

Tony Hawk and Rodney Mullen because I have always felt they were the most creative skaters ever for ramp/street.

 

 

You don´t seem afraid to express some individuality. How do people react to that?

 

I will never be afraid of that..that is the sole reason for one finding true happiness is to be individual and NEVER follow rules.  Skateboarding was NOT created to follow rules...it was created for self expression just like any other art form.  It seems sadly that some people are close-minded conformists who would rather be followers rather than leaders and they react harshly to individuality.  Perhaps if they were successful at doing their own thing they would feel differently and I encourage EVERYONE to try your own thing as much as possible in life...it's the only chance you have.  For all the conformists who do not accept individualism, there are many fans and supporters who love it and many who have taken my tricks to new variations or created their own which is excellent to see!

 

 

 

What do you know about Denmark?

 

I have sold many DVDs to Denmark lol, but I have never been there...I bet it would be a cool place to film a horror movie!

 

 

Any advice for the kids?

 

NEVER conform, never believe that skateboarding is a set of rules or guidelines.  Do what makes YOU happy and accept the fact that not all will accept you, but never break free what makes you want to skate.

 

 

Anything else?

 

Please check out ZOMBIEFIED at www.zombiefiedmovie.com.  It's a hybid film for the slasher/zombie fans in the world!  

 

Thanks SO much for the interview, thanks to all the fans, supporters and haters in both the skateboard industry and the film scene.   I appreciate the opportunity to chat with you!

 

\m/ (-_-) \m/

    Falcon