CH: CHRIS HILL
VN: Vincenzo Natali
CH: You are known for having a lot of control over the films you have worked on writing and directing, what was it like working off someone else’s creation?
VN: Well in fact it is the second time I have done it and this is the second time I have done it with Brian King who wrote Haunter and also my second film Cypher. It’s definitely his creation but it feels like family. It’s very comfortable for me to work with Brian it’s a totally collaborative process not just in the CH: Let him do all the heavy lifting
VN: Yeah exactly why should I do that? I really do think writing is the hardest part of the process. If I find a script like Haunter or Cypher it’s a gift. I do read a lot of things and I am always looking for existing material but it’s very rare that I find something that I want to do.
CH: So when he is on set, how much of the film was written and how much was you guys collaborating making subtle changes
VN: Haunter is entirely Brian’s creation. It came from his mind and I only influenced him in a kind of nuanced way. When Brian was there one of the advantages of having him on set was you find opportunity on set and especially with a low budget. You are always looking for solutions to production issues. The happy irony of it all is very often having less in finances yields more creatively. There is a lot we did in pre production that I think actually made it better.
CH: How long was the schedule?
VN: 25 days.
CH: There wasn’t any blood or gore in the film. Is it challenging to make a film scary when you don’t have that to rely on and it’s more psychological?
VN: Yeah I think so; I vowed not to spill a drop of blood in this movie, that was my promise to myself when I went in. I do think having the ability to chop someone’s head off does give the filmmaker a crutch you can lean on. I didn’t want to do that in this film. Partly my viewing experience haunted house stories or ghost stories that have that tend to not be frightening. I think it diminishes the suspense. The engine that drives the really great haunted house films like The Haunting or The Innocents is atmosphere, it’s all about creating that mood and that was part of the challenge and part of the fun of making this one.
CH: You have a really good look for the film, being on a low budget what type of challenges did you come across to make the environment so creepy
VN: To light something really well it takes time and that was all we were up against but I had an amazing DP and Production designer. We got through it but I have to say I never shot such a low shooting ratio. In terms of shot versus what ends up in the final product. With maybe a couple of exceptions I did not drop a single shot we used everything it was that lean. There are points where low budget hurts you and points where it makes you very economical in your story telling.
CH: How did Abigail come on board?
VN: I don’t know I got this call out of the blue that she wanted to do this; I think she had been looking for something like this for some time and she really loved Brian’s script.
She is one of the best things that happened to us, she is so great and the film rests entirely on her little shoulders.
CH: Prior to her were you looking at other people.
VN: We were desperately auditioning people all over and we were expecting to hire an unknown. There are not a lot of 16 year old movies stars. Abigail was just born to play the part she is perfect. She even turned 16 two weeks before we started shooting so she was exactly Lisa’s age when we started shooting the movie.
CH: The main villain is known as the “Pale Man” what do you think makes him such a good bad guy?
VN: I think it’s what he doesn’t do. I think that Steven McHattie who plays him is an extraordinary actor, he does a lot with very little and he has such a magnificent face. He is very still and in that stillness something is brewing something terrible. He is not very animated and a lot of horror villains are very baroque in their performances and he is the opposite. He is very genuine; there is something very evil lurking in this man.
CH: Abigail haunts the family that is in the house and the Pale man haunts her so who is the haunter?
VN: (laughs) you know you’re the first person that has asked that. I am very impressed; we asked ourselves that when making the films and the answer we came up with is they are both Haunters.
