Director and Producer Richard Gabai Talks “JUSTICE” and His Love for Great Westerns and Stories

Richard Gabai began his career with a series of cult, genre, and family films including the cult classics Assault of The Party Nerds and Virgin High, Quentin Tarantino favorite Vice Girls, the Genesis Award winning, The Bike Squad, and the groundbreaking Call of the Wild 3D. He continued his career with the films Insight, Imaginary Friend, In the Dark, The Good Mother, Non-Stop, The Wrong Woman, Escaping Amish, and Mommy I Didn’t Do It which were sold to major studios including Sony, Columbia, HBO, Lifetime A&E Networks, Fox and Universal Pictures.  A graduate of USC, Richard lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

BTS “JUSTICE”I had the pleasure of chatting with Richard about his latest film. Check it out below. Feel free to share, comment, and express on Vuukle!

Thank you for granting the interview, Richard! Congrats on your latest directorial release JUSTICE. 2017 is the year for Westerns and JUSTICE has added its name to the best of them. What inspired you to direct the film?

Thank you!

I’ve always wanted to make a western.  Many of the films I loved as a kid were westerns, so when I was offered JUSTICE I jumped at the chance.  The experience did not disappoint; every day on set was an absolute blast – pun intended!

Did you do any research to prepare for directing JUSTICE?

Well, I wanted everything to be right and that’s pretty tough with a period piece, especially on an independent film’s budget. The good news was our New Mexico Crew and locations had just about everything at the ready.  Our story is historical fiction– and we all did our best to keep things as accurate and authentic as possible; so the research was a group effort from makeup to wardrobe, the guns, you name it!

Many people love a good Western. What can the audience expect of JUSTICE?

We wanted to include all of the classic Western elements, but we also wanted to give the film a modern edge.  My Director of Photography Scott Peck and Editor Jeff Murphy were key in helping us accomplish that by giving the film the right look and keeping things moving in the edit.  The audience can also expect to see some outstanding performances from a stellar cast including Nathan Parsons, Jackson Rathbone, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Ellen Hollman, John Lewis, Quinton Aaron, and Robert Carradine.  Stephen Lang is absolutely brilliant in his role as our villain, Mayor Pierce.

Name your favorite Western movie. Why is it your favorite?

I can’t name one, but I am inspired by the classics like John Ford’s The Searchers, Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch, and Sergio Leone’s A Fist Full of Dollars. I also love Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven.  There’s more of course.  I can’t pick a favorite food either.

How is JUSTICE different from other Western films?

Well, there is a supernatural /spiritual twist that I think makes our story truly unique. No spoilers here though.

In your opinion, what makes a good Western film?

One of the things about a western that’s so appealing to me is the escapism. It’s nothing like watching a movie that takes place in the here and now. And it’s fun to identify with our heroes and truly despise the bad guys! The story though has to be to be meaningful and relevant. I think the writers of “Justice” nailed that – the themes are as relevant today as they were in 1870 right after the Civil War.

Where can the audience watch JUSTICE?

Justice is available on all digital platforms and on Blu-ray and DVD.

Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I hope our audience has as much fun watching JUSTICE as we did making it.   Making this film was an unforgettable experience.

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Connect with Richard:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_gabai
Twitter: https://twitter.com/richardgabai
Web: http://www.richardgabai.net
Web: http://www.CheckEntertainment.net
Web: http://www.richardgabai.net

Featured Image Credit: Hopper Stone.

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