Anthony DiBlasi:Anthony
CH: This was made in 2011 what caused the delay?
Anthony: It was nothing that impressive or exciting, it was made and then we did the international deal first and then the domestic deal just took longer to work out. It was really about the producers getting the best deal terms they could, the international process is really fast and we did the presale of a lot of the territories. It’s not the ideal situation for that to happen, it’s more likely to get leaked online. It was originally going to come out in March, then we got a better slot for October for VOD and a theatrical run so that’s it really. Contract stuff and deal terms. We have done 2 movies since we finished Cassadaga. I am glad its seeing the light of day and it’s the perfect time of year for it.
CH: Absolutely you can’t get a better time for a movie like this than October, So before you made this everything that you did took place in the Clive Barker universe. What was it like working outside of that realm?
Anthony: It was great, I always kept in touch with my team in the Clive camp and after I finished Cassadaga . They were the first guys I showed it to, to get feedback on. I wanted Clive and Joe and Jorge to see it. It’s the nature of the beast when I did Dread these guys, these producers had seen it asked if I wanted to do this film they had it financed. It was the first time; I am so used to writing my own stuff and developing what I work on. It was liberating getting out there in a different state, with people I didn’t know, to helm the ship. I had been working with Clive for so long it’s good to get away from home some times to take some risks.
CH: Did you have any input into the story, any rewrites that you contributed aside from the directorial vision
Anthony: When they sent me the script, I had notes and stuff like that. It was the first time I had worked with those guys. I liked the draft they sent me a lot. I tried to streamline it more and get it down to something that was doable in the timeframe we had and of course the budget we had. Even with that said our first cut was quite long. In hindsight I would have made it a shorter script.My style of filmmaking tends to run long. I do a lot of improv. So even then the script is like a blueprint that we follow but I like to play with the actors a lot, so things change all the time.
CH: There are many threads, you have a ghost story, a serial killer a love story, it doesn’t fall into any one genre. Was that how it was on the page or did you turn it into that?
Anthony: It was like that on the page, and it was I think what attracted me to it at first. It’s going to sound weird to say this, but I like how it butted against expectations and the narrative. A lot of people are going to go “that didn’t make sense, why did they do that? There is no pay off” but I liked how there are a lot of things without payoffs and that’s what attracted me to it. Life doesn’t always have payoffs and setups. I liked how characters came into the story, created an element and then they were not there to save the day or change things. It didn’t tie up in a nice ribbon. I liked the layers to it. It’s a serial killer movie, a ghost story movie. The two go hand in hand. If you have a ghost, someone killed a ghost. Our killer is just more elaborate and probably could have carried his own film. And if we do a sequel that is probably what it would be about, What he does.
CH: It started off it seemed like it was going to focus on Ghepetto, it focused on the kid and then it shifted over. It did seem like there is more story there. Kevin Alejandro’s character Mike, there is a lot invested in him, then he bails which might piss a lot of people off who like story book endings. I liked it, it’s more true to life. He has to focus on his family.
Anthony: I loved that in the script, I am totally expecting 70% of the viewers to go “what the fuck was that about” but I liked it. It was realistic, this guy has his own problems to deal with he has his kid and is dealing with custody and a crazy wife, he doesn’t have time for this he has to go.
Anthony: Did you watch the post credit scene?
CH: No I didn’t?
Anthony: Yeah, it’s uncommon for an indie to have a post credit scene. It’s not a short scene either it’s like 2 minutes. There is a little bit of resolution for his character, post credit, I didn’t feel like it fit within the main story arc.
CH: I am going to have to check it out. I wasn’t expecting that.
Anthony: Were not the Avengers but who cares, we did a post credit scene.
CH: When you read people were being turned into marionettes were you worried about the challenges to pull it off realistically.
Anthony: There are things I wish I could have done, if we had more money we would have tied the ghost to the marionette thing. But I knew going in that I wanted to create a working rig that our performers could use themselves. There were a lot of conversations, how do we do this, what’s the best way? I said well let’s just make it. So we built the rig that we would put the girl on and attach the limbs to and he could work it like a puppet. I did a lot of long takes with him and the girls, where he could control them when improvising and some things got darker than expected, but that’s the fun of improv. On the page the scenes were short, but I am shooting 12 minute scenes with this guy air raping the woman. The crew was like what is happening and the actor we had for Ghepetto was so method that you didn’t want to approach him between takes. He was that kind of actor.
CH: I saw some artwork a 70’s style poster. Was that the original concept?
Anthony: No it was always the design to cut off the limbs that was in the style of the era, an artist interpretation. I showed him the movie and the artist, he does DVD cover art in the UK and it came out of that camp and I liked it. He is still doing stuff and I loved his artwork so I thought lets commission him to do a retro poster. That’s his interpretation of those characters.
CH: What’s the latest on the Hellraiser reboot.
Anthony: The Hellraiser reboot is kind of where it usually is, lost in translation somewhere. There were some recent things that may bring it back up to the foreground. We will see. It’s just a matter of getting; there are a lot of people involved. It’s getting everyone happy to do it the right way. I think it’s inevitable. Clive waited this long I want it to be worth it.
CH: The original was so good. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. What are you working on now?
Anthony: A ghost horror story called Payman that is an homage to assault on precinct thirteen mixed with the Manson family with a ghost story spin. It’s a simple one actor alone in a police station, tense supernatural thriller. I am excited about it. It’s probably our best one to date.
CH: When’s the expected release?
Anthony: We will finish up around January, I hope to maybe premiere at a SXSW or Toronto. We still have a lot to do in post. I am editing now. We have score and effects, a lot to do.
CH: Awesome, hopefully it won’t be a two year wait.
Anthony: I don’t think so.
