I got the chance to ask the very friendly guys Joseph and James from Night Walker Cinema a few questions and they were gracious enough to answer them. I started by asking about the upcoming film The Dinner Guest (trailer is here), check out their answers below…
Where did you get the idea for The Dinner Guest?
It started off as an idea for a short film but the more and more we talked about it we quickly realized that this should be our first feature because we love the idea so much.
How long have you wanted to make films?
We have both loved film since we were in diapers. Joseph grew up with friends who were always down to help him make small sketches for fun while James’s friends weren’t really interested in those types of things so he would write stories in his alone time. As we both got older and as independent film started to grow we noticed that you didn’t need the backing of a huge studio to make a film. There were these amazing smaller budget movies being put out that were driven more by story, character development and creativity than huge explosions and big names.
I noticed on your vimeo page it says that Night Walker Cinema was created because you were ‘tired of the tarnished reputation the Horror films often receive’ – Do you still feel that this is the case or is the tide turning with some impressive indie films released in 2014?
We fell like the tide is starting to change. There have been some inspiring independent horror/thriller films that have come out like American Mary by the Soska Twins and Cheap Thrills with one of our personal favorite actors Pat Healy. Those films were so well done and you can tell how much love and passion went into each and every scene.
How did you end up financing The Dinner Guest?
It’s been partially funded through indiegogo but as we embark on finishing the remaining scenes we are now saving up as much money from our own pockets as we can while looking for additional financing. So if anyone is interested…haha
Did you have a hand in the casting?
Yes. We are the main casting directors for all of the projects we write and direct. It’s vital to us that we find the perfect person for each role in both skill set and personality on and off set.
Tell us about the cast?
We have the best cast and crew this side of the mississippi (haha). Seriously though, they are the best. They have worked so hard and have been so patient during delays in financing, we really couldn’t feel any more grateful. Their talent is some of the best we have ever seen and are honored to work with them. You can get a glimpse of it in our new trailer.
I am always interested in how people came to discover horror – what got you into it in the 1st place?
We both grew loving to dress up on halloween and that led us to loving the films that these costumes came from. From black and white classic horror to blood splattered foreign horror, we love it all.
What are your hopes for The Dinner Guest?
First and foremost we hope that people see how much love and passion we have for this film and we hope that they end up feeling the same way we do about it. Besides that we would love for it to get picked up by a distribution company or studio that we admire so that it can be seen by as many horror loving fans as possible.
What are some of your favourite horror books/films?
Books: It and Dark Tower by Stephen King, Silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon by Thomas Harris are some off the top of our heads. Films: John Carpenter’s Halloween, Halloween II and The Thing, The Mist, Martyrs, Inside, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original and remake), Scream, Monster Squad, American Werewolf in London, The Fly, The House of the Devil, Dracula, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, Black Christmas (original), The Shining, A Nightmare on Elm Street (original), Alien and Aliens, Predator, Jaws, Jacobs Ladder and the list goes on and on and on.
What’s next for Night Walker Cinema?
We are prepping as we speak to finish The Dinner Guest and as we mentioned earlier, we are looking for additional financiers. After it’s finished being filmed we go straight into post production and possibly the festival route depending on our options. We can’t wait to get behind the camera again and get this film done.
Ryan Morrissey-Smith
Twitter: @TigersMS78
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