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Your new movie The Hanging Doll - in a few words, what's it about?
The Hanging Doll is a supernatural tale about a hanging doll, a little girl, and a man foraging for wild mushrooms. Being a short,
I feel any further description would be a spoiler. But then again, just about every upcoming answer contains spoilers. What
were your sources of inspiration when writing The
Hanging Doll? Spanish indie-filmmaker Jon Alcaide -- for whom I have written two short films in the past -- came to me with the idea of a hanging
doll that can be heard swaying in the woods of a nearby painting. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of the whole horror doll trope, but a
hanging doll is very "Italian" and I did like the concept of an alternate reality of sorts within the painting. With that concept, I
developed the story, though not without several big changes in the end. Despite the
cliché, I do feel that the story and film are still
somewhat unique, because 1. I am not familiar with any other horror film that involves foraging for wild mushrooms and 2.
instead of the
traditional ghost or zombie from beyond the grave, here we get glowing cremains from beyond the urn! Another source of inspiration,
believe it or not, was the chipmunk holding a mushroom umbrella needlepoint that can be seen on the wall. That was something that I
remembered hanging on a wall from my childhood (though pitifully, I can't seem to recall where it came
from). Being that a young child
is an integral part of this story, I wanted to use it and from that, came the mushroom idea. And yes, in case you're wondering, the
original story also had a chipmunk in it, but being filmed over the cold winter, the few in my area were already tucked away in the ground. The
Hanging Doll is a film that's pretty much open to interpretation -
so how clear a (back-)story did you have in your head when making the
movie? While many elements of the film are intentionally ambiguous or open to interpretation, there is a set story that, while not so
evident, would have been clearer had it not been a short. By that I mean, because we only see the story of one man, one may feel that
man has some kind of ties to the girl. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. In my mind, he doesn't. At the end of the film, we see the man's
basket piled among a slew other knick-knacks, which had the film been longer, the viewer might have also seen the deaths from which those
mementos came. In other words, the girl is simply amusing herself from beyond the grave, causing the deaths of countless people to pass
her time in eternity. The mother in the story -- which is simply a voice in the film -- also had a larger part in the original ending, but
I opted to cut portions out for several reasons. Now, with all of that said, there are certainly other interpretations as to what is
happening in the film, so it's up to the viewer to decide!
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Stylistically, The Hanging Doll reminds me very much of 1970s and 80s Italian horror
cinema, and I have the feeling this wasn't at all unintentional on your
part - so what do you like so much about these movies of old to pay them hommage?
I feel that if The Hanging Doll
reminds you of the films of yesteryear, then it is a success, but to me, it's much more late-80s or
early-90s. Horror films of the 70s and early-80s were, in my opinion, more serious, realistic, and dirty. When the late-80s rolled around,
films started becoming cleaner, lighter, and, for lack of a better word, cheesy. Because
The Hanging Doll is on the lighter side --
involving a little girl and a doll makes it lighter to me -- I opted to make something more akin to the lesser-appreciated, waning days
of Italian horror. Instead of thinking City of the Living Dead or
Anthropophagous, I was thinking
Ghosthouse or Sweet House of
Horrors. The story and music certainly fit the era, but OK, the astute observer might notice that I still incorporated a lot of zooms -- a device
that was barely used by the late-80s. I know that will offend the film students, but the world needs more zooms today. It's become a goal
of mine to deliver, so the next film needs even more, though I am not sure I'll ever be in the league of Jess Franco.
What do I like most about the films of yesteryear? Simply put, they are leaps and bounds better! The camerawork, special effects, the
look, the atmosphere, etc. Movies from today are just very different and, for the most part, I don't like them. I love horror, but I'll
take Franco Mole's drama Room of Words over any horror film produced today. Yeah, I am one of "those" people, but it doesn't mean I'm
knocking the films of today. Plenty of people dig them. I don't. Some people like mustard on their hotdogs, others like ketchup. Do talk about The
Hanging Doll's approach to horror!
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As always, I try to build on atmosphere more than anything. That is what I most appreciate in a film more than anything. Atmosphere.
It's also why I have such an attraction to Italian cinema in particular. That's not to say others are incapable of capturing or producing
strong atmosphere -- on the contrary, there are plenty -- but the Italians were the best! I suppose I must be accomplishing something
because reviews and like often remark on the atmosphere in my films, The Hanging Doll
included, but honestly, I can never objectively see
or feel it myself. I think there I might get something from Silence Among the
Graves, an extremely simple experimental film I shot last
year, but no one seems to care about that one! As for blood and gore, it's not something I generally incorporate in my films, mainly for
pragmatic reasons -- I am terrible with bloody special effects! That type of thing is abused today anyway. Having buckets of blood
splashing around in every shot or the actors soaked head to toe (though leaving white circles around their eyes because they were covered
while getting splashed) is nothing special. Look at the films of Lucio Fulci [Lucio
Fulci bio - click here] for proper handling of such things. Anyway, with all that
said, there is actually a little bit of blood in The Hanging Doll
after the snake bite. Unfortunately, you would never know it because
you can't see in any of the shots! A few words
about your overall directorial approach to your story at hand?
I usually have set images and ideas on my mind (and on paper) because I'll admit, I am not the best when I am working off the cuff
(or forced to make changes on the spot). Even so, I would like to think I'm flexible. I basically allowed Terry Reilly to do whatever
he wanted with some general instruction, based on those set images and ideas. I feel he delivered perfectly. The doll, on the other hand,
was most uncooperative, as she would not face the direction I wanted and she swayed back and forth when I wanted her to be still.
What can you tell us about The
Hanging Doll's cast, and why exactly these people?
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The Hanging Doll
really is an international production. An idea from Spain, a photo from France, a voice from Italy, and produced in
the USA. Considering that Filmiracle
regular Ryan Capizzi was in the last few projects, I decided to switch it up this time. For the lead,
I went with Terry Reilly, another regular, having been involved with several previous projects like
Phantoms of the Fog,
The Thousand Steps and
A Taste of Phobia. Silvia Collatina, most notably from Lucio Fulci's House by the
Cemetery, has lent her magnificent voice to
several of my films and, since I needed a voice for this one, I recruited her again. As for the little girl in the photo, it is none other
than Pamela Stanford [Pamela Stanford
interview - click here] from Jess Franco's Lorna the Exorcist (Incidentally, one of my favorite Jess Franco films, along with
A Virgin Among
the Living Dead and The Other Side of the Mirror). Photos in my films are a prime target for something a little special -- in
House of the
Black Cat, the cat in the photos belonged to Nino Celeste. Anyway, to be frank, I don't enjoy working with new people because no one knows
what to expect, so I try to involve people I already know. You
of course also have to talk about your rather atmospheric locations, and
how did you find them? No one would guess the opening shots were taken at a small park in densely populated Philadelphia -- albeit a little less populated
being off of the Delaware River. That house was perhaps last inhabited over a decade or so ago, and not surprisingly
it has been
left to rot away by the city. Just out of frame is an interesting building that appears in one of my first films,
Violets Bloom at an
Empty Grave. (Ugh, that film is dreadful. I can't even look at it today, but I always say that if any film of mine needs a remake, it's
that one.) The wooded scenes were taken in another nearby park. While seemingly unremarkable, that property, once called Sarobia, belonged
to a rather eccentric couple in the early to mid-1900s. What is left of their garden, including the bizarre maze of brick paths, can be
seen in my perhaps equally bizarre film, The Garden, the Artist, & the
Vampire. The interiors in the film are just a neglected,
set-dressed basement.
Do talk about the shoot as such,
and the on-set atmosphere! Well, 50% of the film, there was just one person on set -- me. The other 50% of the film, there were just two people on set -- me
and Terry Reilly. So for 50% of the time, I was complaining to myself out loud about how windy and cold it was or about how long it was
taking just to get the hanging doll to face the correct direction. Unfortunately, I had no help with this film (not to say I have usually
have help anyway), but several of the shots I could have used it. It's not easy throwing a doll, following it with a camera, and zooming
in on it, all at the same time -- though I am sure it made for some interesting viewing for anyone watching me. Those shots had to be
changed after some frustration. The other 50% of the time was just as cold and windy, but Terry and I soldiered on as best as we could to
get it done.
Your score for The Hanging Doll has a very 1980s vibe to it - so how was this
achieved? Considering I was going for a late-80s feel, I of course had to use a
Korg M1 emulator to get all of those classic, recognizable
sounds from that era. Breathy choirs, pad sounds, synth strings, etc. And it needed those intense gated, barrel-like drums. While the
music is exactly what I wanted, the score is just not my style. In terms of synth/electronic scores, I prefer the minimalistic works of Marcello Giombini --
Erotic Nights of the Living Dead and
Anthropophagous are simply untouchable! I gave that style a go with
In the Dreams
of the Those with Unblinking Eyes, but I can't come close to Giombini's greatness. But for
The Hanging Doll, I channeled my inner Carlo
Maria Cordio and Piero Montanari, both of whom I feel really set the "musical tone" for late-80s Italian horror. Ultimately, it was a fun
project, and I got a kick out of working on it, but I'll doubt I'll ever use those sounds again. The $64-question of course,
where can The Hanging Doll
be seen? As with most, but not all, of my films, you can check out
The Hanging Doll for free on the
Filmiracle/Sidd Web Productions YouTube
channel at https://www.youtube.com/filmiracleproductions. Anything you can tell us about audience and
critical reception of The
Hanging Doll? While I have plenty to say about the film's many flaws, I have thus far heard nothing but good things from everyone else. It must be
somewhat of a success because just about everyone notes how "80s" the film feels and some dare to compare it to some of the films of Lucio
Fulci. I will be the first to admit that I can't even come close to Fulci, even though I sometimes used the comparison myself, but it's
ultimately more than a tad off base. I always feel if someone thinks they're going to get a lost Fulci film, they're going to be
disappointed (I know I would). Any future projects you'd like to share?
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I am in the process of re-working a very short experimental film I created in 2024 called The Phantoms of Belle Voir. It's barely
worth mentioning because it's about 2 minutes long, with no actors, and filmed with a phone! Most of the time, I get far more enjoyment
out of creating short experimental films like this -- works that most in the world would never care about -- than I do with traditional
films. Ultimately, I do it strictly for myself. With that said, I am sure I will start another "serious" project soon! Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever
else? Though I should be for the sake of promotion, I am not big on social media. If anyone is interested in
Filmiracle Productions
(and Sidd Web Productions) or my films, check out the YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/filmiracleproductions.
Filmiracle Productions
does not monetize on YouTube (though YouTube likes to put ads on the videos) so if you do and you dig the films, be sure to like, comment,
subscribe, and share because ultimately that helps! Anything else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
Well, you didn't ask about the painting in The Hanging Doll! Not that it is important, but the print is a painting by Henri
Lebasque -- one of my favorite painters, believe it or not. While I love horror, I do also love French Impressionism (though Lebasque
is considered more of a post-impressionist). Sometimes I pull inspiration from these fantastic paintings. Some of them really transport
me into the scene, just as in The Hanging Doll. I can literally feel the heat of the sun, smell the flowers, etc. Or... maybe I am just
crazy. The Two Sisters / On The Terrace by Renoir inspired a short experimental film I did in 2024,
La Ragazza con il Cappello Rosso,
which incidentally also makes use of Silvia Collatina's voice. And while he wasn't an impressionist, the great Norwegian Edvard Munch
inspired two of my films: In the Dreams of Those with Unblinking Eyes, inspired by his painting of
Cupid and Psyche, and The Garden, the Artist, & the Vampire was inspired by
Hands. None of this is important, of course, but such art can be a great inspiration for film. Thanks for the interview! No, thank you!
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