SHORT SHARP INTERVIEW: MATT HILTON

 SHORT SHARP INTERVIEW:  MATT HILTON

Judgment and Wrath

Matt Hilton(http://matthiltonbooks.blogspot.com/) is the author of the novels Dead Men’s Dust, Judgement and Wrath and SLASH & BURN as well being co editor of the great ezine Thriller Killer n Chillers. http://thrillskillsnchills.blogspot.com/

PDB) Your writing is very cinematic. Which films have influenced you?

Matt) I've got a very strange eclectic mix of movie influences that just might- and regularly do - turn up in my books. They won't be scenes stolen from the movies or anything so blatant, just a sense of the scene or theme from the movie. 

You'll find I'm the sentimental type, so keep your eyes out for 'IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE' making a showing, alongside other less tear-inducing classics as 'THE SHOGUN ASSASSIN', 'SE7EN' and 'LETHAL WEAPON'. When I saw and read 'NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN' I realised that there were even influences out there that I must have picked up subliminally - cause I completed Dead Men's Dust prior to doing either, but I love both the movie and the book now. 

Old Toshiro Mifune samurai movies, and Clint Eastwood's 'man with no name' series have helped me define Joe Hunter as a character. For the action sequences, 'THE BOURNE TRILOGY' opened my eyes to realistic but thrilling combat. I also love the classic suspense movies by Hitchcock and anything with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. So you can see; there's quite a mix.

PDB) Who would you like to star in the films of your books?

Matt) OK, I admit to having played this fantasy game before. Usually when meeting a reader, it's one of the first questions I'm asked: 'Are they making a movie of it?' So, yeah it has got me thinking. Here's my cast list:

Joe Hunter - Max Martini (The Unit)/Dominic West (The Wire)/Sean Bean/Clive Owen/Gerard Butler(Law Abiding Citizen) or Christian Bale.

Tubal Cain - Neal McDonough (Band ofBrothers)/Gary Oldman(Bram Stoker'sDracula)

Jared 'Rink' Rington - I'd struggle to find a 6'3'' Asian American, so would probably have to go with Sonny Landham (Billy from The predator) if he was a little younger, or Mark Dacascos (CryingFreeman) if he was a bit taller.I'm open to suggestion here.

Harvey Lucas - Samuel Jackson or DenzilWashington

Walter Hayes Conrad - Bruce Willis or Alec Baldwin

Dantalion - Jake Busey

Kate Piers - Peta Wilson (La Femme Nikita)

Imogen Ballard - Virginia Madsen

Larry Bolan - some as yet undiscovered Pro-Wrestler turned actor

Trent Bolan - some as yet undiscovered Pro-Wrestler turned actor

Robert Huffman - Val Kilmer

PDB) Who would you like to write the soundtrack?

Matt) Ennio Morricone or Basil Polidouris or some metal band like Doughtry. Alternatively, I'd go with Ry Cooder (Southern Comfort).

PDB) Who is  the best fighter, Mack The Knife or Bad Leroy Brown?

Matt) In a stand up, drag 'em out barroom brawl, my money would be on the BadBoy, but Ol' Mack is a shrewd son of a bitch, and if he pulls one on Leroy, we might just have to take a look at that tugboat down by the river with the cement bag just droopin' on down ...

This interview first appeared at PULP METAL MAGAZINE.