The 411 Interview: david j. moore
david j. moore is an author and film historian who has written the books The Good, the Tough, and the Deadly: Action Movies & Stars 1960s-Present (2016) and Beauty Among the Ashes: An Artist’s Quest to Bring Hope to a Town That Lost Everything (2021), as well as articles for such publications as Fangoria, Filmfax, The Phantom of the Movies Videoscope, Black Belt, and Kung Fu Magazine. moore’s latest book, from Schiffer Publishing, is World Gone Wild, Restocked and Reloaded 2nd Edition: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies, a new and expanded version of his original 2014 book about post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows. In this interview, moore talks with this writer about why he put together a second edition, why write about post-apocalyptic movies and TV shows in the first place, and more (full disclosure: I contributed four reviews to the book).
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Bryan Kristopowitz: How did the new version of World Gone Wild come about?
david j. moore: When I submitted the manuscript for the first edition back in 2013, I immediately knew the book could easily go into “sudden death” or overtime because new post-apocalyptic films and shows were being released literally as my draft was submitted. A book such as this will never really be complete, which is the aspect that really bothers me because I’m a completist. I want to have the most up-to-date compendium possible, so from 2014 onward, I just kept watching and reviewing all the latest “end-of-the-world” films and shows to the best of my ability. I would continue purchasing every single DVD and Blu-ray I came across that seemed suitable for the next edition of the book, however far off that may have been. I just automatically assumed that the publisher would eventually want to do another edition, and at some point, I think around 2018, I pitched it to them. I was given sort of a non-committal “yes, we’re interested,” but it wasn’t until maybe 2020 or so that I finally got a more firm “yes, let’s do this” answer. I signed a contract at some point to do this second edition, but the deadline kept getting pushed back on their part due to the COVID delays, so I had plenty of time to keep adding more reviews, and make this edition the most up-to-date edition as possible. I think the book was delayed at least three times. I was given a whole extra year to add reviews, going right up to the end of 2023. I think I submitted my final reviews on December 1st, 2023.
BK: How did the original version of World Gone Wild happen? Why did you want to write it in the first place?
djm: Well, I’d always been a casual fan of “end-of-the-world movies,” and there was something really primal about my love and interest in certain films, namely The Road Warrior (1981) and Cyborg (1989), but it wasn’t until I was hanging out with a buddy one afternoon when we stumbled into a used book store and I rummaged through a box on the floor, finding VHS tapes of Land of Doom (1986), After the Fall of New York (1983), and Exterminators of the Year 3000 (1983), which I bought as a bundle, I think, for a buck each or something. Almost as a gag, I joked that we should watch them all that night, and we did! Something clicked in my mind as we were watching these “junk” movies, and I felt a kinship to them in a way I hadn’t felt towards movies in a long time. I think I said out loud, “Someone should write a book about these movies.” My friend had an answer and told me that someone already did – a writer named Kim Newman had written a book called Apocalypse Movies, and he handed it to me to read. I read that book cover to cover and was overwhelmingly disappointed that he merely mentioned a bunch of “B” movies and only really discussed the better-known films and the themes they all seemed to contain. I therefore determined to write my own book, and what that meant was that I would have to first start a collection or an archive of films to watch, which meant I had to do a lot of ground work. This was probably around 2004 or 2005, and there were still a lot of mom and pop video stores around, and so I scoured every single one within a hundred mile radius, and I just browsed all the shelves, buying stuff right off the shelf, many VHS tapes and DVDs, but at the time I was really focused on VHS simply because that’s where all the treasures were. Lots of obscure stuff that, still to this day, has never been on DVD, weird films from around the world, lots of exploitation. Once I had a good thing going with this archive of mine, I started watching and reviewing the films in earnest, not quite realizing how huge of a task this would end up being. It took something like eight years, but after a while I saw that it was becoming a book, and then I got it into my head that I should do interviews and a subgenre index, which meant a lot more work, but it was worth it.
BK: How is the new version of World Gone Wild different from the original?
djm: I added more than 500 new reviews, and something like 25 new interviews, for starters. I also expanded the subgenre index and eliminated at least one category because it just took up space that I needed to fit stuff in. More photos, but also less photos for some titles to accommodate more variety of images. Also, the size of some images has been pared down for space. I wrote a new intro and eliminated the foreword from the first edition because I didn’t want it anymore. I also tried to fix some errors and grammar stuff, but of course I didn’t get it all. Some people have told me they still see mistakes, but what are you gonna do? I did change a few ratings for some titles because I reevaluated some films.
BK: You had several people contribute reviews to the new version of World Gone Wild. How did you assemble that team of contributors?
djm: As the final deadline was approaching, I realized there was no way I had time to watch all the shows I had lined up for myself, so I asked some trusted friends and colleagues to pitch in, including yourself. I don’t trust very many people with their opinions on movies, so I only asked maybe a half-a-dozen people to help me out. I think the total outside contributions add up to about a dozen reviews or so, maybe more or less. Not too many, but it helped me out, so thank you.
BK: You have several interviews spread throughout World Gone Wild. How did those interviews come about? What was the hardest interview to get?
djm: When I became a freelance film journalist in 2010 completely by accident, I quickly realized that I was really good at interviewing people. My knowledge for film and filmmaking is virtually unparalleled compared to any of my other skills and knowledge, so I hit my stride almost as soon I started on that path. I never let anyone’s level of fame deter me from going after them for an interview and I’ve never been star struck or nervous about the process, aside from a little bit of jitters here and there, but as soon as I begin an interview, I’m always on my game. At some point while writing WGW, I thought it would be really neat and novel if I could do interviews for it to beef it up, and I thought maybe just a few notable ones like Albert Pyun, who’d made significant contributions to the genre. The very thought of interviewing Pyun filled me with excitement and joy, and so I set my sights on getting to him. He was my holy grail, no question about it, and once I got to him and did a whole series of interviews with him – and befriended him in the process – I knew that nothing could hold me back from getting even bigger names in the book. Each interview I’ve ever done has a little story around it, but some of the most serendipitous interviews I did for the book have to be Paul W.S. Anderson, Francis Lawrence, Stuart Gordon, Martin Campbell, Richard Norton, and some others. I could tell you some stories that would bring a smile to your face because never in a million years did I ever think I would get to sit across from some of these people in their homes, their offices, or wherever, and just talk to them and get to ask them questions about their work, but I can tell you that every single time that reality set in during the moment, I felt that I absolutely belonged there because I did. Richard Norton, I remember, took years of back and forth communications to get him to commit to a sit-down interview. It was a memorable evening for me. My wife tagged along, as she used to do back then, and what she remembers most about him was that he wore fancy snakeskin boots, if I recall correctly. I wish I’d taken a photo of us. Oh, well.
BK: What was the hardest part of writing World Gone Wild?
djm: It’s always been the long game for this book. The first steps were the easiest because I had no idea how long the journey would take, but the hardest part has been trying to keep up with everything. That’s tough. It’s a genre that continues to thrive, so it’s like trying to catch all the rain, not realizing it’s basically an ocean you’re trying to bottle up. I’ve just had to accept that I’m going to miss some titles or some shows, and now that this edition is out in the world, the hardest part becomes letting the genre go because I’m not going to do another edition of this book. I’ve said what I’ve needed to say about it, and I’m willing to walk away from it now.
BK: How was the cover for the new version of World Gone Wild designed?
djm: Terry Wolfinger was recommended to me by another artist that I initially approached. Both of the artists have designed posters for the alternative lifestyle event Wasteland Weekend that takes place every year. I liked what I saw with Terry’s style, and I approached him to do this, and I was fortunate that the publisher agreed to him. I told Terry exactly what I wanted, right down to every detail you see. The way the warlord looks being part man and part machine, the Mohawk, the car, the guy in the car, the girl with her gun, as well as the zombie on the leash, and even the background design and the foreground with the heads on spikes. I outlined exactly what I wanted, and Terry delivered it. The model for the girl is Christian Pitre, the star of Bounty Killer (2013), and I got her permission to use her face and figure. She even provided bikini photos with different poses for us to choose from. She’s a keeper!
BK: What is so great about the post-apocalyptic genre to you?
djm: It’s a universal genre. Everyone is afraid or at least keenly aware that the world is heading towards a big conclusion. I’m a Christian, so eschatology is important to me, which is why I find a lot of the so-called faith-based rapture movies so goofy. But, like everyone else, I enjoy escapism, and to me the end of the world is a big playground or sandbox of themes and ideas that sort of collide and can cross-pollinate. I mean, what’s so different about a sword and sorcery world when you compare it to a post-apocalyptic world? There’s a vast landscape filled with weird creatures, barbaric heroes, warlords, and all the strange accouterments that fantasy can deliver. I constantly imagine myself as a wandering hero in an end of the world scenario, but since I have a family and kids it sometimes becomes a sobering thought to think like that. I love that the end of the world genre is potentially limitless for ideas, which is why I give high ratings to movies that really take chances rather than relying on the tried-and-true tropes of the genre.
BK: Do you have a favorite sub-genre within the overall post-apocalyptic genre? Do you have a favorite post-apocalyptic movie or TV show?
djm: I definitely prefer watching something on the “fun” spectrum rather than the more grim reality-based films like Threads (1984) and The Day After (1983). I have a “Holy Nuked Toledo” category that has all the so-wild-you-can’t-believe-it movies, so those can be fun. You can’t really go wrong with the Italian apocalypse movies or the “pasta-pocalypse” movies. My favorite movies in the genre are likely everyone else’s favorites too. The Terminator (1984), Escape From New York (1981), Planet of the Apes (1968), the Mad Max films, but I also hold dear the ones that copy those, stuff like 2020 Texas Gladiators (1983), 2019: After the Fall of New York, Doomsday (2008), Waterworld (1995). There are lots of truly original gems such as Bleak Future (1997), Black Pearl (2008), and The Further Adventures of Anse and Bhule in No-Man’s Land (2017). I enjoy end of the world shows for kids and families a lot. The Tribe (1999), The Girl From Tomorrow (1991), and Thunderstone (1999). Wayward Pines (2015) really surprised me.
BK: Where do you see the post-apocalyptic genre going in the future? Are we more likely to see more post-apocalyptic movies or more likely to see more post-apocalyptic TV shows?
djm: Probably more TV shows with apocalyptic themes. There are some book series set in the end of the world that could potentially be adapted for premium TV or streaming outlets, stuff like Deathlands, Doomsday Warrior, Out of the Ashes, Firebrats, and so many more. There’s a whole ton of men’s adventure series that would make great shows. Post-apocalyptic movies will continue to get made too. I recently went to see Elevation (2024), for example. It just keeps coming, and the genre will never die.
BK: Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
djm: Yes: I wrote a men’s adventure novel called Chance & Gamble: The Mark of the Maharaja, which will be published in June 2025 from Encyclopocalypse Publications. I’m already halfway through the next book in the series. They’re set in the ’90s and feature a “B” action star and his stunt man, putting them in the middle of scary adventures. I try to be as sincere as possible and never turn them into a parody. I also co-wrote an action film called Hard Redemption that got produced and will be coming out in 2025. It stars Lou Ferrigno and Jino Kang.
BK: What do you hope readers get out of the new version of World Gone Wild?
djm: I hope fans of the first book get a kick out of it. It’s the ultimate bathroom book, so keep it on hand for those long sit-downs. I really intended it to be sort of a guide for a survivor in an “end-of-the-world” scenario, to help them navigate their way through an apocalypse by looking to the reviews to see how the characters survive.
BK: Will there ever be a third version of World Gone Wild?
djm: No, that’s it for me on this subject. The book is already as big as it can get, and at one point the publisher wanted to do two volumes, but it was a logistical nightmare, so it’s at capacity. My next movie guidebook is sword and sorcery, then one on erotic thrillers, and then a final one on coming-of-age films and shows. My sword and sorcery guide is coming along nicely and should appeal to anyone who bought and enjoyed my movie guide books, including The Good, the Tough, and the Deadly: Action Movies and Stars.
BK: Out of all of the post-apocalyptic sub-genres you cover in World Gone Wild, which one would you rather have to try to survive through?
djm: I’d want it to be over as quickly as possible, so I’d probably choose one where the comet hits or something. You’ve got one day to live before it’s all over, so enjoy it and savor your life and your family while you can. Pray, but relax because it’ll all be over soon! That’s really the best way to live your life anyway, even if you’ve got years to go. Today is a gift. Thank the Lord for that!
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A very special thanks to david j. moore for agreeing to participate in this interview.
World Gone Wild, Restocked and Reloaded 2nd Edition: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies is available to order from Schiffer Publishing, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon!
World Gone Wild, Restocked and Reloaded 2nd Edition: A Survivor’s Guide to Post-Apocalyptic Movies cover image from Schiffer Publishing. Home video covers from Amazon. Image of david j. moore and Albert Pyun taken by Cynthia Curnan, courtesy of david j. moore.
