Budomate: You were born in Los Angeles, and it seems like becoming an actor and filmmaker was a natural choice for you, am I right? Can you tell us a little about your career?
Joe Cornet: I don’t know if it was a “natural” choice. It happened almost by accident after a series of events. The journey basically began as a result of my pursuit in writing. Various contacts were made, classes and workshops attended and suddenly I was making my first feature film. My path was unique.
Budomate: You’ve been involved in commercial real estate development for many years. Have you ever sold any celebrity mansions or worked with Hollywood stars?
Joe Cornet: Ha! I’m afraid not. I always crossed paths with various famous people over the years but being acquainted with any of them really occurred after my pursuit of film.
Budomate: What made you gravitate toward the Western genre, and what inspired you to make six Westerns already?
Joe Cornet: I love westerns! Always have. It was not a conscientious decision. I kept getting opportunities to direct one western after another and I thought “why not?” It never bothered John Ford!
Budomate: How did you meet Alexander Nevsky and begin working together?
Joe Cornet: I met Alexander through our mutual friend, the great composer Sean Murray. He was putting the final touches on the score for my movie PROMISE and thought this could result in an interesting collaboration. As you can see, it did!
Budomate: In 2023, you made your first horror film, Night of the Caregiver. Can you share what that experience was like and explain why it doesn’t feature zombies?
Joe Cornet: I love classic horror as well as the cinema of Dario Argento, so when Alexander gave me the Craig Hamman penned script I jumped at the chance to direct it. I love what we did with that film, it’s sinister, spooky mood and the performance by Natalie Denise Sperl in the lead. As for zombies… I don’t think I have anything new to add to that genre!
Budomate: What’s the difference between making a movie based on your own script versus someone else’s?
Joe Cornet: When I am working from one of my own scripts, the vision of the film is with me from the beginning. When I am working from a script written by someone else, I make sure to respect the writer’s original vision and I try to adhere to that while adding any ideas I might have. I like working with writers, especially if it’s Craig Hamman.
Budomate: How difficult is it to distribute independent movies today, and what do you think could help?
Joe Cornet: It is very difficult to distribute independent films. Thankfully I am blessed to have Alexander Nevsky who has amazing relationships with distributors and knows how to market our content. What helps in the process is having a good team and striving for excellence.
Budomate: What makes a great villain in a movie? Who is your all-time favorite movie villain?
Joe Cornet: A villain must be sinister enough to be a plausible threat to the hero. I love a number of villains in cinema history (such as Major Strasser in CASABLANCA). One of personal favorites has to be Hugo Drax in MOONRAKER (I think the Bond franchise has some of the best) he’s smug, conceited and unctuous-just great fun to watch. By the way, I am playing my first villain in our next, upcoming feature!
Budomate: Could you tell us about the action scenes in your films and any challenges you encountered while filming them?
Joe Cornet: Action sequences are important, if they are not coordinated properly they can look silly. Fortunately, I have one of the best action coordinators in the business, Art Camacho. A real pro, he works out all the sequences in advance and shows up to set and tells everyone what they need to do. Check out Alexander’s knife fight sequence in TAKEN FROM RIO BRAVO. It’s wild.
Budomate: What are you working on right now, and what can we expect from you next?
Joe Cornet: Right now, Alexander and I are working on THE WIDE WEST, a later era western based on a true story and it features Sumos, samurai sword fights and gunslingers. It’s Japanese action meets the Wild West!
I also published my first book of fiction last month called A PRAYER FOR THE DAMNED and Other Tales of the West. It’s a novelized version of my first feature length western (including many twists and turns not featured in the original movie) along with four short stories. Readers will have fun with these tales, some epic, some terrifying and some strange. It’s available from all booksellers.
Budomate: If you could star in a remake of any famous film, which one would you choose?
Joe Cornet: That’s a question! I actually have an answer for that. I have long wanted to do a remake of PLAY MISTY FOR ME. I even went so far as to research the rights to that property a few years ago.
Budomate: And finally, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Joe Cornet: I have a horse named Lady and enjoy riding adventures with her whenever possible. She’s even been in two of my movies!
