Return to Babylon with Alex Monty Canawati

Jennifer Tilly as Clara Bow  Return to Babylon

This Halloween, a new film from Outstanding Film Maker and Director Alex Monty Canawati will premier at Salem Cinema in Salem, Massachusetts. Return to Babylon is more than just a sexy, spooky and scary feature which happened during the voluptuous black and white silent film era where sex and drug scandals rocked Hollywood. Hauntingly enough, the production lost many of its stars when ghosts and mysterious creatures appeared on its exposed film negatives. Even one of the film's star Jennifer Tilly was the first to sense this apparitions. In a special Halloween Feature from the Blogosphere's Most Admired Modeling Blogazine, NEXT Model MEN, we proudly welcome Film Maker Alex Monty Canawati in a very exclusive and exciting interview only at NEXT! Ready to go NEXT with Alex?

Alex Monty Canawati at NEXT Model Men.

Always Exciting. Always NEXT.

Full Editorial Feature and Interview with Alex after the jump!

Tippi Hedren as Mrs. Peabody  Return to Babylon

Patric:  Alex, what's the five things you can't live without?

Alex: "Fine Art, fine cuisine, film making, stimulating conversation and stimulating sex."



Photo: Alan Mercer

Patric: Your most favorite vintage movie?"

Alex: "I have various vintage favorites, but I must say that one of my favorites has to be BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1970). the plot, fashion, and fast-paced editing style has long intrigued me."



Maria Conchita Alonso as Lupe Velez  Return to Babylon

Patric: Tell us more about your new film, Return to Babylon

Alex:  "RETURN TO BABYLON is a feature "silent" movie that tells the true tales of the silent movie tragedies in hollywoodland. It was inspired by the award winning short I did called THE BIRTH OF BABYLON (which got started when my producer and I found a bag of factory-sealed black and white film on hollywood boulevard). the film has a considerable amount of paranormal activity, and many unnerving anomalies make themselves very present in the film's negative. because of this, I was able to utilize these many images into making the film a psychological thriller. The film will be premiering in salem, mass on halloween where there is a huge paranormal-fan based audience."



Photo: Alan Mercer

Patric: Your best Halloween experience of all time?

Alex: "I think the best Halloween experience of all time is going to happen: screening my film on Halloween at Salem, Mass."



Return to Babylon with an anomaly in the film

Patric: What's the film that really scared you?

Alex: "A film that really scared me was Roman Polanski's THE TENANT (1976). It was such a creepy film about a man who moves into a creepy apartment in which the previous tenant committed suicide by throwing herself out the window from the 4th floor apartment. The man (played by Polanski himself) begins to take on the identity of the woman and becomes suspicious of the other tenants in various manifestations. My filmmaking was inspired heavily by the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Pedro Almodovar, and numerous silent film directors such as Erich von Stroheim."



Photo: Alan Mercer

Patric: "How did you start your career in Film Making?"

Alex: "I am a graduate of the USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS. I was 21 years old when I graduated with a BA in cinema production in 1991. Upon graduation, I was able to secure funding for my directorial debut INEVITABLE GRACE (with Maxwell Caulfield and Tippi Hedren), since then, I have been making independent films."



Photo: Michael Skrentny

Patric: Sources of inspiration for Return to Babylon?

Alex: "Being that RETURN TO BABYLON is a "silent" film and a homage to the silent movie era, a number silent films were inspirational. some of these include: INTOLERANCE, HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, THE EAGLE (with Rudy Valentino), and ORPHANS OF THE STORM (with Lilian and Dorothy Gish)."



Photo: Michael Skrentny

His thoughts on Return to Babylon's actors? "Return to Babylon stars Ione Skye, Maria Conchita Alonso, Tippi Hedren, and Jennifer Tilly (who plays sex-crazed "it" girl Clara Bow). Both Jennifer and Mary are very over-the-top in this film and you can tell they had a lot of fun playing their parts. Tippi Hedren plays a studio executive name "Mrs. peabody" and is quite effective at being funny. Ione Skye plays the doomed starlet "Virginia Rappe" who would die at the hands of fatty arbuckle. She plays her role very subdued and its a bit disturbing" Alex also shares some advise for new models, "be able to handle rejection and keep promoting yourself relentlessly. Knock on many doors as possible, and be as charming as possible- include a little wit."

Return to Babylon premieres at Salem Cinema at Salem Massachusetts. Discover Alex, step inside his world, click Alex Monty Canawati



Photo: Michael Skrentny

"The sense that I've been productive and created some good art makes me smile at the end of the day."

Always Exciting. Always NEXT.