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We have talked about this before, but do bring us up to speed: Your upcoming movie The Seductress from Hell
- in a few
words, what is it about?
Firstly, thanks for the interview. The Seductress from Hell
is a
horror-thriller origin story inspired by films like The Exorcist,
A Nightmare on Elm Street and
Fatal Attraction. It tells the story of a Hollywood actress who
undergoes a horrific transformation after being pushed to the edge by
her psychopathic husband. The movie also features a lot of social
commentary on topics such as modern-day capitalism and the entertainment industry.
The protagonist of The Seductress from Hell
Zara is basically
a dangerous psychopath - so how easy or difficult was it to get into
her mindset, and was it at all liberating, maybe even fun, to write her?
I think writing her and the script as a whole was both uncomfortable and
enjoyable at the same time. During the writing process, I listened to a
lot of horror soundtracks like those of Halloween,
The Exorcist, Hellraiser,
Child's Play
and A Nightmare on Elm Street to really get into the mindset
where I could write an effective story. Zara in many ways is a sociopath
as she was molded into becoming a monster as opposed to being born one.
Zara’s husband Robert is not a good person either so delving into him
was fun as well. I definitely enjoyed writing her as villains to me are
very interesting. I think writing the script as a whole was liberating
in the sense that I really enjoy writing stories. The Seductress from Hell
pretty much hinges on Rocio Scotto's performance in the title role - so
how did you find her, and what was your collaboration like?
When looking to cast that role, we initially wanted a well known actress
for that part as they're essentially going to be leading a series of
films (if all goes to plan) - but for one reason or another, it didn't
work out. We got our well known lead actor in Jason Faunt who plays her
husband Robert in the film so we decided to do a search in Los Angeles
on all the casting websites for an up-and-coming actress that we thought
would have the talent to pull off what is a very difficult role. We
looked at approximately 2,000 submissions in total, and from that list
we asked about 40 actresses to submit self-tapes. From that, we narrowed
it down to about 10 who we invited for in-person callbacks. We had
initially signed another actress who left the project due to creative
differences, but Rocio Scotto, who had been very close to booking the
role the first time around, was asked to go through another callback and
then she was cast. I'd be lying if I said her and I got along during
production, but at the end of the day what's on the screen is what
matters and I'm very happy with her performance in the film.
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Do
also talk about the rest of The Seductress from Hell's
cast, and why exactly these people?
Jason Faunt, famous for his role in the Power Rangers
franchise as the legendary Red Ranger plays Zara's husband Robert
Pereira. His character and how he treats his wife essentially launches
the events in the film. We got in touch with Jason's manager when we
were casting the film, and after a lunch we had with Jason where I
explained my vision for the film, I was really happy that he signed on.
Raj Jawa plays local LA businessman Derek Patel, and I really liked
his approach in how he comes across as somewhat normal compared to other
characters in the film. Ironically, him turning a blind eye to the way
Robert treats his wife is partly to blame for Zara’s transformation. Kylie Rohrer plays Derek’s stuck-up girlfriend Maya Valentina who has a cell
phone addiction. During callbacks, we really liked how Kylie connected
to the material.
James Hyde plays film producer Jeffrey Delap, and we
really liked him as he has a subtly menacing vibe to him on screen that
works well for the role. 90's sitcom star Andy Lauer plays an eccentric
police officer in the film. and we offered him the role as we thought he
would bring some humor to the film which he did. Isaac Levi Anthony
plays a suave tech professional that approaches Zara at a jazz bar, and
we really liked him as he has a naturalism and charisma that works
really well for the role.
What can you tell us about The Seductress from Hell's depiction of
violence, and was there any red line you refused to cross?
There probably isn't that much graphic violence in the film compared to
other films in this genre, and I think the reason we did that is because
we wanted to make the violent scenes seen on screen that much more
unique and memorable. I also like the idea of keeping things up to the
audience's imagination, which is something I incorporated in the film and
have done since I started professionally making films in 2015. In terms
of a red line that I refused to cross, I don't think I personally have
one when telling a story this dark and cynical. A
few words about your directorial approach to your story at hand?
I consider myself very fortunate to be a professional filmmaker so I put
everything into any project I do. This was reflected in how I worked
extensively with every department head and actor in instilling my vision
for the film. For example, I worked with our production designer Fabio
Del Percio months prior on constructing the best sets and visual world
possible for the film. Our cinematographer Khoi Nguyen, another
incredible talent, was involved in these discussions as well, as
production design affects cinematography. When it comes to working with
actors, I work a lot with them before the shoot on developing their
characters, backstories etc. to really bring the characters to life in
the best way possible. A very hands-on director, I consider myself very
nitpicky and detailed when making a film. During post-production, I
worked with our editor, composer and sound designer as much as
possible on trying to get my vision onto the screen but also trusting
their expertise and talent. I was very lucky that we had so many
brilliant people who worked on the production.
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Do talk about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere!
I think the shoot was exhausting for all involved as we put everything
into it. It was fun but challenging at the same time. The on-set
atmosphere was very professional. We did joke around sometimes in
between takes, but in general it was a very serious shoot where people
took their jobs seriously. The
$64-question of course, when and where will The Seductress from Hell
be released, however tentatively?
We're about to embark on a film festival circuit so it will hopefully be
premiering at a festival in the near future and screening at others in
the months that come. As of now, we're hopefully looking at a release
sometime (hopefully theatrical followed by streaming) in 2025! The post-credit
scene of The Seductress from Hell
seems to almost suggest a sequel
- is there any truth in that, and what have you in store for us then?
And/or any other future projects beyond you'd like to share?
There actually is a sequel in development and the full screenplay has
already been written in fact! In the sequel, the film takes an even
darker turn than the first iteration and goes more down the lines of The Omen and
The Exorcist, with some scenes taking place at
the Vatican and there being scenes of possessions, exorcisms etc. The
sequel starts immediately after the post-credits scene. As of now, the
sequel is titled Seductress from Hell 2: The Exorcism.
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In terms of other projects, far removed from the horror genre, I am currently
producing and directing The Magic of Santa Claus, a Christmas claymation short film about the legendary figure. I am working with
Key to Clay Studios, who is doing all the sculpting, animation etc. and
Elezeid, who did the soundtrack for The Seductress from Hell
as
well.
Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/theseductressfromhellmovie
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28331533/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseductressfromhellmovie/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/seductressfhell/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@seductressfromhellmovie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theseductressfromhellmovie
Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
I really appreciate the interview! Thanks
for the interview!
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