Following the release of Mockbuster, Four Time Film School Dropout spoke with filmmaker Anthony Firth about documenting his experience making The Land That Time Forgot for The Asylum, what surprised him most about the studio, and why he believes audiences should have a greater appreciation for one of independent cinema’s most prolific production companies.
How did the idea for Mockbuster first come together? Did you always know you wanted to document the experience of making The Land That Time Forgot, or was that something that developed later?
Anthony Firth: It was always both. I had the idea for the documentary and the idea of reaching out to The Asylum at the same time. When I first contacted them, I said, “I’d love to make a film for you, and I’d also love to document the experience.” They were immediately on board with both ideas, so it was all part of the same conversation from the very beginning.
One of the documentary’s biggest takeaways is that making a so-called “bad movie” often requires far more craftsmanship and planning than audiences realize. Did making Mockbuster change your own definition of what makes a good or bad movie?
Anthony Firth: Definitely. I appreciate bad movies in a completely different way now. Before, you’d mostly watch them for the funny dialogue or the over-the-top visual effects. Now, when I see moments that are genuinely well crafted, I find myself appreciating them because I understand what it actually takes to achieve those moments.
I still love all the goofy stuff, but now I have a much greater appreciation for the craftsmanship behind it.
I noticed Mockbuster runs almost exactly 90 minutes. Was that intentional, considering The Asylum’s philosophy that films should generally stay around that length?
Anthony Firth: Yeah, that was intentional. I actually agree with that philosophy to an extent. Some movies just don’t need to be longer than 90 minutes.
Going into the project, what was the biggest misconception you had about The Asylum that changed once you were making the documentary?
Anthony Firth: Before I got there, I expected to meet a bunch of people who didn’t really care and were just making movies purely for financial gain. There’s an element of truth to that—they’re a commercial business and they’re there to make money—but they also genuinely care about the movies they’re making.
When you talk to them about their films, they really light up. They become genuinely excited talking about projects like Hercules, and you realize there’s a real passion behind what they do. I didn’t expect that at all, and it made me appreciate The Asylum even more. There’s a genuine love for filmmaking there, not just a desire to make money.
You interviewed a number of filmmakers and executives throughout the documentary. Was there one conversation that completely changed your perspective on the studio?
Anthony Firth: Talking with Eric Roberts really stood out. He’s not technically part of The Asylum, but he genuinely loves acting. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a $200 million Hollywood movie or an Asylum production—he gives every performance everything he’s got.
Because of that, The Asylum treats him like family. They know he’s always going to show up and deliver his best work. That conversation really highlighted how loyal everyone is there. The studio keeps working with the same people because they trust them and enjoy collaborating with them. Everyone I met who works with or for The Asylum genuinely cared about what they were doing, and that really surprised me.
One thing that stood out while watching the documentary was just how small The Asylum’s core team actually is. Was that something you expected?
Anthony Firth: Honestly, no. Considering they produce somewhere between 10 and 25 movies every year, I expected there to be dozens of people working there.
They obviously bring in freelancers for productions, but the core team is surprisingly small. The building itself is actually quite large, but they simply don’t need a huge staff because everyone wears multiple hats.
Joe, for example, manages the stage but also writes scripts and directs films. Max handles deliveries to VOD platforms and distributors, but he also writes, directs and helps with other production responsibilities. Nobody really has a single job description. Everyone contributes in several different ways, and I found that fascinating.
Throughout the documentary, we also see you receiving script notes and creative feedback from The Asylum. Were you expecting that level of collaboration, or did you think you’d have more creative freedom?
Anthony Firth: Brendan warned me beforehand that there would be plenty of script notes, costume changes and revisions. I remember thinking, “It’ll be different for me.”
It wasn’t.
Looking back, I probably should have listened to Brendan from the beginning.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from directing The Land That Time Forgot under those conditions?
Anthony Firth: If I were making another low-budget film, I’d probably focus more on getting coverage instead of spending time chasing additional takes.
More broadly, though, I think the biggest lesson is that I’ve now made a film under some of the hardest possible circumstances. If I ever get the opportunity to make a movie with more time, more money and a bigger budget, I know I’ll approach it with a lot more confidence because I’ve already experienced the deep end. Compared to that, everything else feels a little less intimidating.
Was there anything you discovered while making Mockbuster that you wish had made it into the final cut?
Anthony Firth: There were definitely a few things. One of my favorites was us trying to find a submarine in Adelaide to shoot in. A friend of mine had made a film called Locker, and the submarine in that movie was actually just a rainwater tank under his parents’ pergola. It was a funny story, but it just didn’t quite fit into the documentary.
There were also some really interesting conversations with the heads of The Asylum that we ultimately couldn’t include. One of them was about where the six-day production schedule came from. During COVID, productions had to test everyone every seven days, and those tests cost thousands of dollars. Their solution was to shoot for six days instead of seven so they wouldn’t have to test again. It worked so well that they just kept doing it after COVID. It was a great story, but it made the documentary feel a little too tied to that specific period, so we decided to leave it out.
So The Land That Time Forgot was actually filmed in just six days?
Anthony Firth: It was. They really do shoot these movies in six days, and I can tell you from experience that it’s incredibly challenging. It sounds almost impossible when you first hear it, but that’s become their standard way of making movies over the last several years.
Watching the documentary, that was one of the things that surprised me the most. I assumed the six-day schedule was more of a guideline than something they actually followed.
Anthony Firth: (Laughs.) No, it’s very real. They genuinely stick to it. Once they realized the schedule worked during COVID, they never really went back.
What do you hope audiences walk away with after watching Mockbuster?
Anthony Firth: More than anything, I hope people come away with a greater appreciation for The Asylum. It’s easy to make them the butt of the joke, but when you actually see the amount of talent, craftsmanship and hard work that goes into making these films, it’s difficult not to respect what they’ve accomplished.
To me, it’s not even about any one individual movie. It’s about the fact that they’ve made roughly 400 films over the course of 30 years on incredibly small budgets. That’s an amazing body of work.
Personally, they also gave someone who was essentially a nobody the opportunity to make a feature film. Because of that opportunity, I feel like I’ve been able to build a career for myself. I think that’s something really special, and not many companies would do that.
That actually reminds me a lot of Roger Corman. He was known for giving young filmmakers opportunities while encouraging them to take on multiple roles throughout production.
Anthony Firth: Exactly. That’s the comparison I always come back to. Roger Corman launched the careers of so many incredible filmmakers—Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard and countless others.
I’d like to think The Asylum fills a similar role today. I can’t say whether history will ultimately look at them the same way, but they absolutely give emerging filmmakers opportunities they might not get anywhere else, and I think that’s incredibly valuable.
One thing I noticed while watching Mockbuster was that everyone at The Asylum seemed genuinely passionate about what they were doing despite the pace they work at. Did that surprise you?
Anthony Firth: It really did. I expected it to feel much more like a factory where people were simply trying to get movies finished as quickly as possible.
Instead, everyone genuinely cared about the work. They cared about making each movie as good as they possibly could within the limitations they had. That passion was something I wasn’t expecting, and it completely changed the way I look at the studio.
Looking back now, did making Mockbuster change the way you approach filmmaking in general?
Anthony Firth: Absolutely. Having gone through one of the most demanding filmmaking environments imaginable, I feel much more confident going forward. Once you’ve made a feature under those kinds of constraints, everything else feels a little less intimidating.
I don’t think I’d necessarily use all of the same methods on a larger production, but the experience taught me just how much can be accomplished with limited time, limited resources and the right group of people.
You mentioned earlier that you had to do your homework on The Asylum’s filmography before making The Land That Time Forgot. After watching so many of their films, do you have a favorite?
Anthony Firth: It’s hard to go past Sharknado. I love Sharknado. Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus is another favorite. Transmorphers is hilarious, and Atlantic Rim might have the funniest mockbuster title ever. Just calling a movie Atlantic Rim is so funny to me.
After this experience, if The Asylum called tomorrow and offered you another film, would you do it?
Anthony Firth: Absolutely. If they asked me to make a shark movie, I’d jump at it. Making a shark film in Australia would be amazing—we’re kind of built for that over here. I’d definitely say yes.
Finally, if someone has never watched an Asylum film before, what would you want them to understand after seeing Mockbuster?
Anthony Firth: I’d want them to understand that there are real people behind these movies who genuinely care about what they’re making. It’s easy to laugh at the titles or the concepts, but there’s an incredible amount of work, creativity and passion that goes into every production.
Whether people love the movies or not, I hope they come away respecting what The Asylum has accomplished. Making around 400 films over 30 years on those kinds of budgets is an incredible achievement. I think that’s worth celebrating.
Special thanks to Anthony Firth for taking the time to speak with Four Time Film School Dropout about Mockbuster, The Land That Time Forgot, and his experience working with The Asylum. We appreciate his time and wish him the very best with the film.