Macabre...ish Cults, Classics & Horrors Pod: Dave McRae, Director of It's Me, Billy & Voice Actor

[Before the show starts Chris, Carlos and I have have such interesting conversations and on this day before Dave shows up we were talking about Terrifier, Damien Leone and the impact of physical FX artists who become filmmakers. And Carlos talks about his personal experience with physical fx in his zombie film, Duck & Cover.]

Dave McRae arrives and we discovered that he and Chris knew each other in another life! He shares his stories of going to film school and decided he wanted to be an actor and moved closer to Toronto for opportunity. He got a part time job at a video store and after a road hockey incident that cost him his smile, he had to put on camera acting on hold. Then he shifted focus to voice acting and as of 2024 he has 24 years in the entertainment industry. Much of which has been in voice over work. By 2006, Dave was a full time actor.

Later, he returned to his first love, filmmaking. And that started on his youtube channel. In 2019, at the age of 40 he decided to make a go at directing, finally. So he waded in and with his connections and (specifically his life long friend, Bruce Dale) decided to make a Black Christmas fan film, a reimagining of Black Christmas. After having a successful indiegogo launch and raising 60,000 CAD, It’s Me, Billy Chapter 1, came to be.

Dave talks about the differences in fan film quality and why. Part two of his, It’s Me, Billy Chapter 2, out earned chapter 1 by over 80,000 CAD with Olivia Hussey attached, plus the original Claire (Lynne Griffin) (remember the girl with the bag on her head in Black Christmas!!) and is playing Claire’s sister.

But just as the production of It’s Me, Billy Chapter 2 was under way, the Writer’s and SAG strikes happened and they were delayed 3 months awaiting approval. Unfortunately, a bigger nightmare happened when Olivia Hussey fell ill and she had to bow out, this happened 13 days before shooting. And Dave & Co had to scrambled to do press releases and inform contributors of the crowdfund, knowing that issuing refunds was a real possibility.

Dave also plays Freddy in another film, Dylan’s New Nightmare, in 2019, the 25th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm St. And he talks about a potential supernatural, philosophical feature in his future that he’s been thinking about since college, based on a true story, his story. We hear the script is done so we’ll find out if Port Robinson Road comes to be!

This year is the 50th anniversary of Black Christmas on October 11th and that is the release date of It’s Me, Billy Chapter 2. Put it on your calendars!! And of course, watch It’s Me, Billy Chapter 1, first!

Buy the physical media, support indie filmmakers!!

Find Dave McRae here:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC7_zQE4NTwspg2lwSRBjVWw

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2247687/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

https://www.instagram.com/davemcrae79/profilecard/?igsh=MTF5Y2Rqemt2bmc0ag==

And the rest of us:

Carlos Ibarra on IG @jekyl6669 and

https://www.fillintheblanksproductions.ca/

Christopher Thompson on IG @theauthor__

Kimberly at http://www.macabreish.com and Threads, IG and Tiktok @macabre_ish. https://linktr.ee/macabre_ish