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Your new movie Ghost Town: An
American Terror - in a few words, what is it about?
To me, it’s really about the art and industry of visual
storytelling. I like to think of it as a “tough love letter” to cinema.
With Ghost Town: An
American Terror being a blend of western and horror motives - are
these genres dear to you, and some of your genre favourites
Very much so. Growing up in the Southwest US, westerns are in the
cultural DNA. I still think about the effect Val Kilmer’s
performance in Tombstone had on me, and I think Unforgiven is the gold
standard of how to realistically handle violence in a film. Ghost
Town definitely owes a debt to High Plains Drifter and some of theTwilight
Zones that were set in the Old West. I’ve heard horror referred to as the Wild West of genres. It’s the
place where you can break rules and still reach a wide audience. The Omen, The Wicker
Man, Rosemary’s Baby… The Exorcist is probably
my top horror film just cuz it still scares the crap outta me. I love where horror is nowadays. I really dig what Mike Flanagan
[Mike Flanagan interview -
click here] is
doing. I think the bent neck lady storyline in The Haunting
of Hill House is some of the
best horror I’ve ever seen. Midsommar got under my skin big time, and
that “star lasso experience” sequence from Nope was pure nightmare
fuel. (Other)
sources of inspiration when writing Ghost Town: An
American Terror? I think Ghost
Town owes most to American Psycho, actually. Both Mary
Harron’s movie and the book it was based on by Brett Easton Ellis. I
came upon them in my early 20s and it just broke open my idea of what
a story could be. It’s this intense horror, absurd comedy, a kind of
Richard the 3rd-esque tragedy and it all adds up to this
straight-razor satire about consumerism and greed. Was on my mind a
lot as I made Ghost Town.
What can you tell us about your
directorial approach to your story at hand?
I try to foster creativity as much as possible. This is a team sport,
and especially at a low budget level where people aren’t walking out
with a lot of money, you want them to be to be fulfilled creatively.
At the same time, I had a very clear understanding of what I needed. I
storyboarded the whole thing, which I guess a lot of people don’t do
anymore, but to me it was crucial. I had to have the movie made
in my head and on paper before I could shoot it.
The vibe on a set is very important, and it’s the director’s job to
set that tone. What I’m most proud of is that we had a very laid back,
mellow and supportive atmosphere. Some days were better than others, but
it was a great experience overall. I don’t know, maybe I just lucked
out with cast and crew . You also
appear in front of the camera in Ghost Town: An
American Terror - so what can you tell us about your character, what
did you draw upon to bring him to life, and have you written him with
yourself in mind from the get-go?
About halfway through my first draft I realized that I was writing
Solomon for myself. I was kind of unconsciously both playing to my
strengths, and mapping out places where I could be challenged.
We see a lot of colors in Solomon throughout the
film. I started with this sort of ‘early Tom Hanks‘ kinda clumsy
affability mixed with the earnestness of Jodie Foster in Silence of the
Lambs. As the story goes on, I dip into De Niro, Pacino, Day-Lewis,
there’s a little bit of Jack Nicholson in there too. Solomon was kind
of an everything bagel of all my influences. Do talk about the rest
of your cast, and why exactly these people? I knew going into it that I needed actors who would be able to nail it
without a lot of hand-holding. We had to move so fast, and I was in
almost every scene, so there was no time on set really to rehearse. I
didn’t do a typical casting process, For the most part I just offered
the role to the actor I knew could do it and who I knew would be fun to
work with. To a person, this cast were absolute pros and genuinely great
people. Where was Ghost Town: An
American Terror actually filmed, and what was it like filming there?
And how did you find your locations even?
Ghost
Town was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona at Pioneer Living History
Museum. We were very fortunate that Pioneer were so welcoming and kind.
It was almost like having our own backlot. I like to say that big movies are made by committees and little movies
are made by communities and this movie was no exception.
I’m very grateful to Pioneer, and if you’re in the Phoenix
area, drop by and check it out! Great place to bring the kids.
The $64-question of course, where can Ghost Town: An
American Terror be seen?
Streamers like Amazon Prime, on demand and DVD.
Anything you can tell us about audience and critical
reception of Ghost Town: An
American Terror?
I’ve screened it a few times and people seem to dig it! There’s
been a lot of praise for the performances and the cinematography and
that’s very gratifying. It’s a bit nerve-wracking because it’s
an unapologetically weird movie, and you sometimes worry that
important stuff can get lost in translation. I always loved the way Twilight
Zone explored real-life horrors
through allegory, and Ghost
Town was definitely made in that style. My
hope is that the viewer doesn’t HAVE to read between the lines to
enjoy the movie, but if they do, there’s something there to read. Any future projects you'd like to
share?
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Early stages of another horror feature! And I’m writing all the
time. I’ve been booking some more TV and streaming roles just as an
actor that’ll be dropping this year. I don’t wanna get more
specific cuz I might get in trouble. Check back with me in a couple
months lol. Your/your movie's website, social media, whatever else?
Instagram: @owentconway, @ghosttownmovie2023
Twitter: @owenconway
Tiktok: @owenconwayactor
YouTube: @owenconwayactor Anything else you're dying to mention and I have
merely forgotten to ask? Just
that I’m very grateful to my amazing cast and crew,
and I hope everyone enjoys the movie! Thanks for the interview! Thanks for having me!
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