Love Bite

(NOTE: This Director's Statement and the film itself were both made before our current global pandemic took root.)

Following the festival run of CRAVE, I was emotionally and financially exhausted. It was fun, and totally worth it, but I fell into an unexpected depression afterwards, probably the result of my lifelong dream having finally come true -- I had at long last directed a feature! But I was also nearly broke.

I then spent several years regaining my footing, working like crazy in the behind-the-scenes world to dig myself out of the hole, and just trying to set up my second feature. Long story short, it wasn't until I found the love of my life -- my amazing wife and partner in all things, Carlee Baker -- that I started smiling again. And getting creative. Carlee had the original idea for LOVE BITE, and we wrote the script together.

Throwing caution to the wind, we just went and made it. We didn't spend a lot of time thinking about it, and I really felt the need to get back on the horse as soon as possible...to flex those directorial muscles again. So we made LOVE BITE. And it wasn't just a little rehab movie for me. It was a total reinvigoration. And a huge bonding experience for Carlee and myself beyond our already deeply invested love for each other.

LOVE BITE might seem like a simple zombie apocalypse story. But taking inspiration from George Romero's films, it has also some subtle (and not so subtle) messaging beneath the ghoulish surface. It talks about toxic relationships, toxic politics, toxic emotions...all in a very toxic world. A world, sadly, of our own creation. If George and Nancy can't put aside their differences, and help each other survive, it's not going to end well.

As the film shows.