In our second interview for our film of the month THE CALLER we talk to the film's director Matthew Parkhill and find a little more about the film.


Q) Firstly congratulations on such a great film, the people who saw it at Film4 FrightFest this year all seemed to enjoy it. How did the idea for THE CALLER come about?

Thank you.  Actually, I was sent Sergio’s script by a couple of the producers. We’d worked together before and they wondered if I’d be interested in this. I was. I thought it was a terrific script. Very smart, interesting and kept me guessing. Plus, I loved the strong female lead, which you don’t always get in genre movies.

Q) You have a very talented young actress in TWILIGHT actress Rachelle Lefevre and a talented actor in the form of TRUE BLOOD heart-throb Stephen Moyer but was it easy to get them on board?

In a way, yes, although it never seems easy at the time. I heard Moyer liked the script and was interested in playing the role of the ex-husband. I thought it would be more interesting to see him in the role of the boyfriend as I liked the idea of the audience not knowing where the threat was coming from. I thought the menace Moyer carries from his character in True Blood would play into that sense of threat. When we spoke it turned out he was more interested in the role of the boyfriend, so we were on the same page from the start. Plus he’s from Essex, like me, so I knew he’d be a good lad. Rachelle actually stepped in at the last moment to replace someone. She literally arrived in Puerto Rico and started shooting the same day. She’s in every scene of the film and I think turns in an amazing performance. And when you consider the crazy circumstances in which she stepped in, it’s incredible.

Q) I also see that Lorna Raver who played the witch/gypsy Sylvia Ganush in DRAG ME TO HELL plays the voice of Rose, was her role in that film part of the reason you wanted her to play this part?

Yes. Like a lot of people I became aware of Lorna through Drag Me To Hell. I thought she was amazing in that. Stole the show. Hands down. And I thought she’d make a great Rose. Also, I loved the idea of creating a character that we never really see, and Lorna was up for that, which was great.

Q) How long did it take to film? And were there any problems during filming?

We actually shot it in 23 days, which is not a lot of time to make a film. We started out with a 35 day schedule, but it kept getting cut down for budgetary reasons. We had quite a few problems on the shoot, not least having to replace our lead actress. And, as I say, time was tight, which means long hours, which creates its own difficulties. But creatively, it was a great shoot. Both cast and crew pulled together and it was a terrific atmosphere on set.

Q) How does the filming of THE CALLER differ from your previous films like DOT THE i?

It was tougher. Dot the I went very smoothly. But it’s funny, when you’re shooting you never really know how a film is going to turn out. Often you can have a difficult shoot and end up with something you’re happier with than when everything goes to plan. You never know.

Q) Was Film4 FrightFest 2011 your first FrightFest experience? And how did the film go in your opinion

It was. And it was great. A whole new world. People seemed to love the film. You were in the audience, so you’ll know more about that than me.

Q) Have you always wanted to direct horror?

I’ve always been interested in it. I’m more old-school horror, stuff like Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, films that have incredible atmosphere, where the fear is more about what you don’t see than what you do see. I’m not really a torture-porn guy. Doesn’t do it for me. The great thing about directing horror is that you get to play a lot, with darkness, with light and shadow, with sound and effects, things you might not get to do to the same extent if, say, you’re directing a romantic comedy.

Q) Who inspires you in the business?

Hmm… interesting one. I’m a big Paul Greengrass fan. I love his shooting style and think he’s had an interesting career. I also love Alejandro González Iñárritu. Think he makes beautiful, powerful films. It’s hard to keep making films, especially right now, so anyone who can do that and do it well inspires me

 

Q) This wouldn’t be a Snakebite interview with out asking the next two questions, firstly :FILMs OR NOVELS ?

Films. Definitely. I read. A lot. But it’s films all the way.

Q) and secondly if you had to choose one film and/or book, not including your own films, which would you recommend?

That’s a tough one. Because it would probably change on any given day. Right now I’d say, film: Let The Right One In (the Swedish version). The most poetic genre film I’ve seen. Book: probably The Catcher In The Rye. I’ve probably read that more than any other.

THE CALLER, our October film of the month, is being released on DVD on October 24th. To celebrate the release he have got two interviews. The first is with screenwriter Sergio Casci as he tells us a little bit about how THE CALLER came about. In the next week or so we will also be talking with the film's director Matthew Parkhill.

Snakebite Horror) Firstly congratulations on such a great film, the people who saw it at Film4 FrightFest this year all seemed to enjoy it. How did the idea for THE CALLER come about?

Sergio Casci)Thanks Mark! Delighted to hear people at FrightFest enjoyed the movie!

THE CALLER was originally a short film called ROSE which I wrote about fourteen years ago for the BBC. The central idea came to me when I was sitting in my tenement flat in Glasgow one wet afternoon and the phone started ringing. The notion suddenly came to me: What if the person on the other end dialled the number years ago..?

The idea struck me as interesting, and was radically improved by the thought which immediately followed it… And what if the person dialing the number turned out to be a psychopath?!

It was one of those ideas which arrive in your brain almost fully-formed, and thereafter the story seemed to write itself. The BBC at the time was looking for half-hour films starring two characters, and that’s what I gave them: essentially it was a one-location story with two protagonists; Mary and Rose.

The short film was beautifully directed by Don Coutts, and the actors – Katy Murphy as Mary and Alison Peebles as Rose (who we never actually see on screen) – were brilliant. But I always thought that the central idea merited a longer treatment, so shortly afterwards I sat down to write a feature version, and that’s how THE CALLER came about.

S.B) When writing the script did you intentionally go for a low gore aspect?

S.C) The only thing I really wanted was to write a movie that was genuinely frightening, and I just don’t find gore all that scary! I wanted audiences to feel that delicious sense of creeping dread which you get with the best horror films, and to do that you have to get inside their heads. I didn’t consciously avoid buckets of blood – it just didn’t seem necessary.

S.B) As you said  The Caller is based on a short you did for the BBC called ROSE. How much did you change to the short to get to this finished product?

S.C) ROSE had two characters and, essentially, one location. In order to turn it into a feature film I basically had to fill in a lot of the blanks. For example, in the short film Mary is running away from an abusive relationship, but we don’t learn much about her nasty ex, Steven (though we do see a photograph of him, for which director Don Coutts chose a photo of me looking particularly smart in my work suit!) In the feature version Steven is a major character (played with fabulous menace by the brilliant Ed Quinn) and we get to see what a Grade A swine he really is!

The other major difference was that in the feature version I got to indulge my sick imagination. While in ROSE I could only vaguely hint at some of the awful things someone living in your past could do to you, in THE CALLER I was able to examine all the horrifying implications.

S.B) How did you get into screenwriting?

S.C) I always wanted to write, but as a child the idea of being an actual “writer” seemed impossible. It just wasn’t something real people did. Instead, I went into journalism which, while being a “real” job, still allowed you to write. After a couple of years, though, the urge to tell stories came back. I was lucky enough to meet Don Coutts (the director of ROSE) around that time and he was extremely encouraging. Together we made a few short films which were very well received and eventually collaborated on my first feature, AMERICAN COUSINS, which went on to win around sixteen international film awards. After that I figured I could actually make a go of this writing malarkey and gave up the day job!

S.B) Have you always wanted to write horror?

S.C) Writing horror always seemed the most natural thing in the world to me, primarily because it’s what I like to watch! I enjoy films with compelling characters and strong storylines, and that’s what good horror films supply. The films which make the biggest impression on me are always the ones which inspire that delicious sense of dread I spoke about before – films like Jaws, The Exorcist and The Sixth Sense. It’s a sad fact that many “horror” films are pretty lame – but the ones that are good are so good that I’m happy to wade through the rest to find them.

S.B) Who inspires you in the business?

S.C) I grew up reading Stephen King and I still think he’s the master when it comes to creating a real world with real people – and then screwing their lives up right and proper! I also think M. Night Shyamalan is a genius. His films aren’t always perfect, but there’s such a powerful imagination behind them that they’re always worth watching. I’m also a big fan of TRUE BLOOD, MEDIUM and THE WALKING DEAD. In essence, I like story-tellers who make you believe in and care about their characters before unleashing hell!

S.B) This wouldn’t be a Snakebite interview without asking the next two questions, firstly : FILMS OR NOVELS ?

S.C) Stories.

S.B) and secondly if you had to choose one film and/or book, not including the caller, which would you

S.C) The Exorcist – book and film.

Don't forget to enter our fantastic competition to win one of THREE copies of THE CALLER on DVD over at our competition section.