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Your new movie The Box
- in a few word, what's it about?
In a few words, this movie is a sci-fi anthology about a small metal box
that’s used to abduct people and replace them with inter-dimensional
beings disguised as humans. What can you tell us
about the meaning of the number 11 in your movie, and is this based on any
actual scientific or esoteric or whatever theories?
I discovered the number 11 by accident. This was initially a short
film concept. The story entitled Dinner & Drinks was going to
be a stand alone short film. I was brainstorming and I liked the
idea that the box opens at a certain time. My first thought was to
have it open at midnight and maybe discover some sort of monster inside.
But my friend Steve Cakouros, who is also an editor and co-producer for
the movie, suggested 11:11. He told me that 11:11 had something to
do with aliens. I liked the idea, so then it became somewhat of an
alien abduction story.
I’m not into numerology, but I researched the number 11 and began
hearing some interesting ideas that are vaguely explained by the
character Professor Sanjeev Goel. But the number 11 really stands
out when I look back at the making of this movie.
In the segment Back to School, there’s a shot of some kids approaching
a school. Behind the camera was a mailbox that featured the number
1111. The opening shot of the movie that features a panning shot
of St. Louis was taken off of the 11th floor of the Chase Park
Plaza Hotel. I had secured the location and we were instructed to
go to that floor.
The movie features an exterior shot of a building during the story The
Man on the 11th Floor. That building has 11 floors. The
address of the building is 121 Meramec. Take the 2 and cut it in
half and you have 1111. And of course, the movie itself took 11
years to make. (Other) sources of inspiration when writing The
Box?
When I set out to make what was supposed to be a short film, I wanted to
create something with a Twilight
Zone vibe. That show was probably
the strongest influence. What can you tell us about The
Box's approach to science fiction, and is this a genre at all dear
to you? I like sci-fi, but I don’t consider myself a pure sci-fi type of guy.
I like the horror genre better. But as I mentioned, I was
brainstorming and the sci-fi aspect kind of came about on its own.
I like strange and whimsical things. Sci-fi definitely brings that
vibe. And it might be fair to say that sci-fi is a cousin of the
horror genre.
Do talk about your directorial approach to your
story at hand!
The two filmmakers who influenced my visual style the most are Alfred
Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick – elegant, somewhat slow-paced, but
purposeful. For a very long time, I used those two filmmakers as
an alter-ego. When I would shoot a scene, I would pretend to be
one of them. Watching The Box, it’s almost like watching a
Hitchcock B-level sci-fi movie. It makes for an interesting blend.
But since making The Box, I’ve seen over a thousand movies, but I have
not yet directed anything else. When I direct again, I know that
something different will come out. You also appear in front of the camera in
The Box - so what can you
tell us about your character, and have you written him with yourself in
mind from the get-go?
I love acting and I first met Jim Freivogel, the actor opposite me,
because we were in a play together. But I have no desire to act in
my own movies. I stepped in because this was a low budget movie
and I didn’t have anyone else to play the part. My character,
Tom, is just a normal guy who has an abnormal experience. Back to The
Twilight Zone – ordinary people having unusual experiences. Do talk about the rest of your
cast, and why exactly these people?
I’ve made a number of movies in my hometown of St. Louis.
Anytime I look to make a movie, I go back to the actors I have a strong
track record with: David Wassilak [David
Wassilak interview - click here], Charles Heuvelman, Stephanie Sanditz,
Joe Hanrahan, Larry Dell and more. Now that I’ve made The Box, I
can add a few more names to that list like Will Macarthy, Vis Brown and
Scott Michael Dunn. My list of favorite actors to work with is
definitely growing. From what I've
heard, The Box has taken 11
years to complete - so what took you that long?
Going into this project, I thought it would take only 18 months
including post-production. My first movie, Defiance, took about
three years, and it was a massive production. The Box
shouldn’t have taken 11 years but it did. At first we were on track, but
then there was a fender bender with a couple of production vehicles,
which stalled things for a few months. Occasionally, we would run
into some sort of technical difficulties that would stall things.
My father passed away in the middle of all this, but that only accounted
for a few months of down time. I have no idea why this happened.
Every January, I thought it would be the year that we finish but it just
wasn’t happening like I expected. ;
A few
words about the shoot as such, and the on-set atmosphere?
I wanted things to happen fast and easy, so I wrote stories that took
place in single interior spaces. Very little exterior shots or
physical action. But when you shoot in one location, you’re
faced with a number of unique challenges. It’s tough having a
full cast and crew in a small room with low ceilings. As I look
back, the atmosphere of the production was a bit claustrophobic. Anything
you can tell us about audience and critical reception of The
Box?
The movie debuted in my hometown of St. Louis to a crowd of almost
500 people. I didn’t really know what to expect, because I had
been working on it for so long and I just wanted the experience to be
over with. But the responses have been pretty strong. When
the title “The Box” floated across the screen in the first eight
minutes, the crowd spontaneously applauded.
When the final credits began to roll, almost everyone stayed in their
seats till the very end. And it wasn’t just hometown support.
People seemed genuinely caught up with it. One friend, whose
opinion I greatly value, said his only criticism was that there was too
much white in the movie. He was referencing the use of white light
that’s used for scene transitions. If that’s his only
criticism, I think we did okay. Any future projects you'd like to share?
Speaking of single space interior locations, my next movie will probably
be The Meeting. This is a crime movie that mostly takes place
inside of a restaurant. After that, I intend to make The Driver,
another crime movie which is based on the true story of Marvin Elkind.
I met Marvin through my work as a boxing journalist, which is something
I used to do. Marvin was once the driver of Teamsters boss Jimmy
Hoffa. Later in life, he worked as a confidential informant for
law enforcement. What
got you into filmmaking in the first place, and did you receive any formal
training on the subject?
I’ve wanted to make movies since I was three years old. The
movie that got me into it was the original Star Wars. I used to
take my Star Wars toys and film them with an 8mm camera. When I
got out of high school, I took a filmmaking class at Meramec Community
College. There I formed a bond with my film teacher, Dr. Diane
Carson, who I’m still very good friends with. ;
What can you tell us about your
filmwork prior to The Box?
I started work on my first feature film when I was 21 years old.
It was an action/western movie called Defiance that found distribution
through Lionsgate
Films. I followed that up with a very ambitious
short film, Strawberry Spring, which was based on a short story by
Stephen King. That movie screened at Cannes. I’ve made a
number of short films, including an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The
Tell-Tale Heart, which I am very proud of. But The Box eats up
11 years of my film career. How
would you describe yourself as a director?
It has been a while since I’ve worked as a director, but I think
I’ve evolved a lot since my last shoot. As I mentioned, I’ve
seen over 1,000 movies since that time. I’ve also developed a
stronger sense of self-awareness. I referenced Hitchcock and
Kubrick as influences, and like those filmmakers, I’m huge on
pre-production. I like to know what I’m doing before I get on
the set. But I think I’m comfortable enough now that I’m more open to taking
advantage of unexpected opportunities. When you rely too much on
your preparations, sometimes you make a movie that’s stiff. The
next time I shoot a movie, I think I’ll be more loose. Filmmakers
who inspire you?
Hitchcock, Kubrick, Coppola, Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino…
I’m a fan of filmmakers who happen to be highly accomplished and
recognizable. There are others, of course. I love Paul
Thomas Anderson. Guillermo del Toro might be the best visual
director today. I’m also intrigued by the emergence of some of
the horror directors from the 2010s like Ari Aster, Robert Eggers and
Jordan Peele. It seems like horror is best way to break into the
movie industry nowadays. Your favourite movies?
There’s probably a difference between my favorite movies and the
movies that have meant the most to me growing up. I’ll give you
my top 10, but there are probably movies that I like more than the
titles on this list: The Godfather, The Good, the Bad and the
Ugly, The Shining, Goodfellas,
Scarface, Psycho,
Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Conversation and
Pulp Fiction. ... and of course, films you really deplore?
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Tough question, but I really disliked Ethan Coen’s Drive-Away Dolls. Your/your
movie's website, social media, whatever else?
I’m on Facebook and there is also a page for The Box
on Facebook. Anything
else you're dying to mention and I have merely forgotten to ask?
Just that I’m a major movie person, first and foremost. Over the
past twenty years, I’ve supported myself as a boxing
instructor/personal trainer. That occupation has been good to me.
It’s given me a lot of flexibility and I love working with people.
But there’s no feeling in the world like making a movie. I
can’t wait to do it again. Thanks
for the interview!
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