Your new movie H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House - in a few words, what is it about?
A
graduate student flees an abusive relationship. She takes up residence in
a house with an anonymous past; and she unwittingly awakens an 18th
century coven of witches.
With
H.P. Lovecraft's Witch House
being based on a short story by H.P. Lovecraft (duh!), how close did you
remain to your source material, and what inspired you to adapt a
Lovecraft-story (and this one in particular) in the first place? And to
what degree is H.P. Lovecraft influencing you as a horror filmmaker to
begin with?
We
used the basic building blocks of his story and to make it feature length,
we embellished on certain elements. We switched the gender of the lead as
I enjoy films with strong females (Alien). Our budget was definitely a
deciding factor in how we would play out the strong nightmares and their
descriptions. We had to really get creative. I chose Lovecraft’s work to
adapt because Brian Yuzna (Re-Animator)
suggested I look into his work. I
have always believed in standing out from the crowd. I wanted to do
something more advanced than the typical American studio formula of 5 kids
in a van getting knocked off one by one by a masked killer. My producers
and I settled on Dreams in the Witch House because it felt like a
relatable story and we were very blessed to have the use of a magnificent
real haunted mansion here in Indianapolis. I
have adapted Stephen King's work and I wanted a challenge. Boy, did I ever
get what I asked for.
Other sources of inspiration when writing H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House? ALIEN!
It has been my favorite horror sci-fi film since I was a child. It genuinely
still creeps me out. I love the isolation and metamorphosis of the alien.
H.R. Giger and Carlo Rambaldi were influenced by Lovecraft when they
designed the creature for that film. I'm
also a big fan of Rob Zombie’s work. His frantic kill scenes really make
you feel as if you are in the middle of the action. For the overall look
of the film, my DP and cinematographer James Brenton and I chose the
1970’s Italian horror giallo films by Mario Bava [Mario
Bava bio - click here] and Lucio Fulci [Lucio
Fulci bio - click here]. Very
creepy stuff with wild colors. We used that as a vehicle for our multiple
dimensions. We have since gotten quite a bit of praise from European
critics and film festivals for James’s use of color.
What can you tell us
about your co-writer Ken Wallace, and what was your collaboration like? Ken
and I met and worked together on Belly Timber some years back and I really
wanted to work with him on a project where we had more creative control
from the beginning. The guy literally will take the story to bed with him
and wake up with all sorts of great ideas. He writes when he’s awake and
asleep. I get excited when he calls and starts the conversation off
with… HEY! CHECK THIS OUT… He writes about medical body horror,
sci-fi, comedy, and just about anything you can think of. We are currently
tossing story ideas around for our next projects. He also has a killer
golf swing.
How
would you describe your movie's approach to horror? I
want to open up the viewer’s mind to the fact that there are things in
this world we weren’t meant to understand and probably shouldn’t for
our own good. Do
talk about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand! I’m
just one part of the machine that is Horror
Wasteland. I wouldn’t even
be on set if it weren’t for my team of very talented actors, producers,
writers, cinematographers, art department, sound, light, etc. All
these people are very creative and specialize in what they do. I really
enjoy watching them do what they do. I’m a cheerleader of sorts. I keep
everyone motivated through the long shoots and am open to their
suggestions. Many times they can see something beyond the frame that lets
me take a second look from a different perspective. It truly becomes
a tight knit group and everyone feels great that they are trusted and
valued. What
can you tell us about H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House's key cast, and why exactly these people?
We
have been active in the convention circuit for over a decade with our
previous films and are very lucky to have great relationships with a lot
of talent and their management. We
can literally walk around a convention and shop for talent. We’ve
known/worked with Andrea Collins, Portia Chellelynn and Julie Anne Prescott, and these
ladies can handle the subject matter. I’ve
had difficulty casting roles with conventional talent agencies, especially
with older talent in a very religious, conservative region.
From
what I know you've shot large parts of H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House at what's supposed to be an actual haunted
house - so do talk about your location, and why did you choose to film
there, and did you experience any first person hauntings yourself? We
shot the film on location at the Hannah Historic Mansion in Indianapolis.
We immediately realized our batteries were draining very fast. A lot of
our cast members have individual stories. We spent almost three years in
that house and got very intimate with the setting. One night we all heard
an infant crying that sounded as if it came from within the walls.
A
few words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere? We
loved it. Even though it was a bit creepy. The stairs were a challenge as
we were constantly shooting in the attic and everything had to be brought
up and down 2 very long steep flights of steps. Shooting in all seasons
was challenging, especially for Portia as she was in her night clothes for
most of the sleeping parts. The caretaker of the house Scott Longere
didn’t charge us one dime for three years. I can’t begin to thank him
enough. Our crew returned the favor by doing landscaping ,and our line producer Beth Hale would make home cooked meals downstairs in the kitchen
and that really brings a team together especially when we missed home on
the long shoots. The
$64-question of course, when and where will H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House be released? H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House will be released in North America on July 5th
through Walmart, iTunes, Amazon, Tubi, Barnes and Noble, and more coming
soon!
We
will be released internationally this year at American Film Market in
November through Screenbound Pictures in the UK, after that… the sky
is the limit.
Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of H.P.
Lovecraft's Witch House yet? Well
that's a really good question as the film has had its mix of reviews to be
honest. We’ve won 18 awards internationally, with a handful of
nominations in some really great festivals. Being selected for H.P.
Lovecraft Film Festival was major for us and it's just mind -lowing to
know our film crosses so many cultural regions and is enjoyed by the
horror world. It’s a film we made more in the vein of a European style,
and it hasn’t quite caught on in the US yet, but hey Black Sabbath,
Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, and the Beatles got their underground
followings from the UK before American audiences opened up to it. Let's
hope team USA. enjoys it on July 5th! Our world festival run continues
until March of 2023.
Any future projects
you'd like to share? We
do have some things cooking. Ken and I are working with our sales team
currently on a fresh title that was shopped around at Cannes. James is
currently wrapping a script for an exciting anthology. I'm working on some
music myself and some very delinquent home repairs. Haha! From what I know, you've entered
the filmworld as an actor - so what can you tell us about that aspect of
your career? I
started off in high school making videos, then took a long break from it
during a stint in the Marines. I got back into acting and print work
through the Helen Wells Agency and have just stuck with it. I’ve been
very fortunate to have been able to work with some real legends. Robert
Redford, Richard Dreyfuss, Louis Gossett, Sissy Spacek, Bruce Willis, Zac
Efron, Sasha Cohen (Borat), Aaron Sorkin, Joe Berlinger, and so many
others. What made you want to pick up
behind-the-camera work eventually, and did you receive any formal training
on the subject? Living
in the Midwest we don’t have as many opportunities to make films. You
have to be proactive. Grab a camera, cellphone, go tell your story. It may
not be the best, but it’s a start. All great journeys start with a
single step. I was cast back in 2006 in Hell Walks the Earth. A great
friend and mentor friend of mine Terence Muncy was one of the first
filmmakers in our state to really do some solid fun indie horror flicks. I
was a zombie that he kept asking back to be in additional scenes. Our
friendship took off from there and when he finished that film I approached
him with a story and he agreed to take me under his wing and we co-directed
X, my first feature film. What can you tell us about your filmwork
prior to H.P. Lovecraft's
Witch House, in whatever position?
I’ve
worked on numerous productions both in front of and behind the camera. I
can relate to the actors, writers, production assistants… I’m able to
help in all those areas. I see a lot of great actors in Hollywood writing,
producing… staying proficient in your craft. One of my favorite films I
directed was The Devil Dogs of Kilo Company, a feature length WW2
stop
motion animated film starring Kane Hodder and Bill Moseley. Phil Anselmo
of Pantera did some voice work too. It was such a fun exercise working
with humans and plastic soldiers and tanks. Great stuff. How would you
describe yourself as a director? I
spent some time in the Marines as an infantry squad leader. I can keep a
group motivated, while accomplishing a mission, but I like to have fun on
set and really pull great performance art from everyone on set. I
understand a great deal of every aspect and individually approach each
crew member everyday and let them know they did a killer job. I’m also a
jokester too. When you have very long night shoots, you can get a bit
delirious at times and the laughter helps pull off those last few miles. Your favourite movies? I
love all kinds of cinema. My dad took me to the movies a lot as a kid so
it stuck with me. I love 70’s grindhouse, sleaze and blaxploitation,
70s, 80s horror and sci-fi, Godzilla films, jeez. The films that
made the most impact were the ones that terrified me as a kid: Alien,
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Elephant Man, and The
Howling. ...
and of course, films you really deplore?
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That’s
a tough one. Well I don’t deplore anyone’s work unless it is morally
fucked up. The films of the past that really degraded people’s dignity
and their humanity. I would say D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation
and anything with white actors in blackface making people of color look
like bafoons and monkeys. The John Wayne films with white actors horribly
depicting Natives, Latinos, and Asians as savages… any film that makes a
blatant mockery of someone's race and culture. Film really has a
powerful impact. There are stories to tell that are painful, but those
films really left a disgusting black eye in the history of cinema. They
made whole groups of people think and act differently toward others for
years, and thankfully that has changed. People of color, immigrants, and
the disenfranchised are now able to tell their own stories and get the
credit they have long since been due.
Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
www.horrorwasteland.com
www.witchhousemovie.com
Facebook: H.P. Lovecraft’s Witch House
Instagram: @witchhousethemovie
Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask? Thank
you for a great interview! Thanks
for the interview!
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