SOUTHBOUND: Interview with Director Roxanne Benjamin

Director, actor and producer Roxanne Benjamin has two films at Midnight Madness this year. She's a director in the horror anthology Southbound and a producer on The Devil's Candy. In fact, Roxanne Benjamin is probably responsible now for about 30% of the Madness at Midnight Madness, you might remember a little film series she co-produced, V/H/S.

Benjamin took time to answer some questions in advance of the Southbound premiere last night. (The internet passes through Hell itself, and so, you know, the answers got a little delayed in transmission. Demons always think that's funny, that and 404's...).


How did you come to be involved with Southbound and The Devil's Candy?

Brad Miska and I produced the first two V/H/S films together. With those films, we wanted to take found footage, something that felt beat to death as a trope at that point, and find a way to make it interesting and new. With Southbound, we wanted to do the same thing with the actual structure of a multi-director narrative-we wanted to make one world-one mythology with a connected, interweaving story. Brad had been in touch with the Radio Silence boys about it, and I reached out to David Bruckner, and then we had a V/H/S reunion of sorts on our hands.

With Devil’s Candy, I was working under producers Keith and Jess Calder at the time, co-producing some of their film slate over at Snoot Entertainment and basically trying to soak up as much filmmaking knowledge from them as possible. Devil’s Candy was one of the first projects of theirs that I read, and being a huge fan of The Loved Ones (which I learned about from Midnight Madness, of course) I was beyond excited to get to work on Sean Byrne’s film.

You've been involved in many aspects of filmmaking (and tv-making) from the art department to producing and now screenwriting and directing. How did come to directing? And, is there anything you learned in the other ares of filmmaking that you've been involved in that you brought with you to directing?

Yeah. Drink a lot of water. Really though, every day on set in any capacity teaches you something new.  My route to directing isn’t the most traditional, I’ve had a little experience in a lot of different roles, which hopefully informs me as a filmmaker and producer. I think directing was the obvious transition for me after working in the anthology format for so many years now, which is so creatively collaborative by design, and you’re way more involved in shaping the overall vision of the film than in traditional features. Also, working with people better than you makes you better at what you do, it forces you to raise your game.  So I surround myself with as many talented people as possible. I’m also lucky to have some really rad director friends like Jason Eisener (Hobo With A Shotgun) and Dave Bruckner (The Signal) and Evan Katz (Cheap Thrills) that I can learn from, who have all definitely pushed me at various times to get behind the camera myself. It was definitely such an ‘Oh, THIS is what I’m supposed to be doing’ moment the first day on set in that capacity.

You've produced a bunch of anthology movies including the V/H/S series and now Southbound. What's some of the appeal of working in an anthology format for you?

Working with friends, always first and foremost. And you get to collaborate in a way that is not totally available to you with straight features. A feature is really a two to three-year process from development to the release of the film. And there’s so many great filmmakers in genre today. With these types of projects I get to work with a whole gang of talented filmmakers that I respect in that same window. Sixteen, actually, between the V/H/S movies and Southbound, which is pretty crazy. Watching the whole come together as greater than the sum of its parts--these separate visions that we’re helping to bring to screen to make one cohesive narrative--is one of my favorite things about the process. I’d also say I’ve made as many multi-director/multi-writer films as I have because of a love for the writer’s room working in TV, and the entire process of TV production. Particularly with Southbound, we were all coming up with this world together and structured production more like a TV series than a feature. We’d be in my living room once a week breaking story and talking themes, leading up to production. Same thing on set and once we got into the editing process. We’ve probably watched this film no less than 50 times through as a group since the rough cut.

What are some of your favorite horror movies, anthology or otherwise?

Creepshow 2 and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, particularly the Michael McDowell segment, "Lover’s Vow." That messed me up as a kid. In the Mouth of Madness is also at the top of the ‘probably fucked up my psyche at a formative age’ list.  I probably have way less horror film background than one would expect given my filmography, ha. I was always more of a reader—I grew up on EC Comics, Stephen King, USA Up All Night, and pulp novels.  I remember biking into town to the corner drugstore to get the latest Tales from the Crypt, Haunt of Fear, and Vault of Horror issues (I swear this was the '90s, not the '50s). But I tend to be more obsessed with anything that evokes a sense of creeping dread when it comes to movies, like The Sentinel or Repulsion or Picnic at Hanging Rock. I’m also fascinated by the dynamics of female relationships--there’s so much fodder there to mine-which I don’t think is explored enough in modern horror. I guess you can see that obsession in my part of Southbound.

Exploring the dynamics of female relationships---with DANGER!

What can the Midnight Madness audience expect from Southbound and The Devil's Candy?

Complete pandemonium, hopefully? I’m actually really excited to see both of these films with the Ryerson crowd. 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Roxanne Benjamin!
 
SOUTHBOUND Screening Times: Fri, Sept 18, 12:45 PM SCOTIABANK Fri, Sept 18, 6:00 PM SCOTIABANK Sun, Sept 20, 3:30 PM SCOTIABANK


THE DEVIL'S CANDY Final Screening:
Sat, Sept 19, 1:15 PM SCOTIABANK

SPL 2: Interview with Director Soi Cheang

Director Soi Cheang is making his first appearance at Midnight Madness this year with SPL: A Time For Consequences. But he's had other films at TIFF. Accident (2009), starring MM Alumnus Louis Koo, and Motorway (2013), starrring MM Alumni Anthony Wong Chau-sang and Josie Ho, screened in the Vanguard Program. This year Soi Cheang brings a follow-up to Wilson Yip's SPL / Sha Po Long / Killzone. SPL blew the roof off Midnight Madness in 2005--with Sammo Hung in the house. In taking on the sequel, Cheang brings new characters and locations to the series, with characters played by MM Alumni, Wu Jing, Jony Jaa, Louis Koo and Simon Yam. And Cheang maintains some of the original's sensibility. There will be fights. There will be fights in a Thai prison. Simon Yam might be in peril.

Like many Hong Kong directors, Soi Cheang got his start on Hong Kong's iconic television station, TVB. He went on to become an assistant director for Johnnie To and Accident and Motorway were both produced by To's Milkway Image Ltd. Cheang even did some shooting for Wilson Yip on the first SPL. Cheang's filmography is pretty diverse now, ranging from grimmer films like Dog Bite Dog  (2006) to the family friendly Monkey King 3D (2014).

Tony Jaa and Wu Jing throw down.

Director Cheang was kind enough to answer some questions for us in advance of the premiere of SPL2. Since he sent his answers back in Chinese and English, we're posting his answers in both languages.

SPL 2: A Time for Consequences isn't a traditional sequel to SPL. How did you come up with the new story and how does it keep some of the themes and feel of SPL?

已經係一個好完整的故事,無需要延續，如果拍SPL2的話，我同監製都決定重新開展一個故事，當然要保留一點SPL的感覺，我地選擇左保留他的宿命，他的命運這個主題，重新創作所有人物，係一個屬於的自己版本的SPL，今次我們有很多地方的演員，有泰國,香港，要將2個地方係一個主題下拉埋一齊好似幾好，我同監製決定用命運將２個地方的演員結合在故事中

At first, I told him that I wouldn't want to make an SPL movie unless we had a feasible story. And somehow we managed to put together all the characters and the story framework that you see in the current movie. 

Tony Jaa and Unda Kunteera Yhordchanng

You work with many amazing and talented performers in SPL 2. How was it working with them and how did you cast the film? 

 其實每個地方的演員都好好，係好出色的動作片演員，當然我們會抽取每個演員特質，或我對每個演員的感覺，如Tony Jaa我不希望他演殺手，但我好希望他似他第一部作品《拳霸》中，單純直接的性格，另外吳京我希望他成為一個未見過的吳京，他以前經常很威風打人的，今次在命運的谷底裡慢慢掙扎上去，今次每個演員我都盡量有一點不同和鮮明的風格放在他們身上，希望每個人都特出

In fact, they are all good action movie actors. We were grounded in the characteristics of each actor or how I feel about each actor. For example, I don’t want Tony Jaa be a killer. I would like him to be a simple and headlong man, just like in Ong-Bak. Besides, I want the audience can see the other side of Wu Jing. He is always power and prestige in the past. This time, I want him down in the dumps and struggling. This time, I have tried a different and distinctive style on every actor, I hoped everyone could be outstanding.

Wu Jing, struggling. (Simon Yam in peril)

How was working with action choreographer Li Chung-chi?  

一開始我們討論每一場戲的動作和我的要求，當然我們在現場會作出很多修改，有些想法一起創造，有一些場口是我決定氣氛，李忠志在我給我框框下發揮

We started to discuss the operation of each scene and my demands. We have made many adjustments on site. There were some ideas we created together. And there are some scenes were I decided to do for atmosphere, then he developed it. 

I've read you started in the film industry as an assistant director for Wilson Yip Wai-shun, Ringo Lam, Andrew Lau and Johnnie To. How have they influenced your filmmaking? What other filmmakers or films have influenced you?  

每個跟我合作過的導演對我有很大影響，因為在他們身上學到很多，好似你們提到的Wilson Yip, Ringo Lam, Johnnie To 他們都對我很大影響

Those directors that I've worked with are a great influence on me. I learned a lot from them. As you mentioned, directors like Wilson Yip, Ringo Lam, Andrew Lau and Johnnie To. They have a great influence on me.

Zhang Jin and Tony Jaa.

There are three languages in SPL2: Cantonese, Mandarin and Thai. What were some of the challenges and benefits of shooting in so many languages?  

拍攝時，語言上都係一個挑戰，但對於我們來說都是要克服的，我想最大的難題是張晉，因為他根本不是泰國人，他要完全講泰文的對白，對他來說是一個幾大的挑戰，我覺得他學得很快，很有語言的天份，令到拍攝很順利

Language is challenge for us during shooting. But we have to overcome it. I think there was a big challenge for Zhang Jin. Although he is not Thai, he had to speak in Thai during shooting. I think he is very talented in language. So it made the shooting very smooth. 

Thank you so much, Director Cheang! 


 SPL 2: A TIME FOR CONSEQUENCES screens:
Thu, Sept 17, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Fri, Sept 18, 3:30 PM BLOOR HOT DOCS
Sun, Sept 20, 6:30 PM SCOTIABANK

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS: Profile of Director Nick Simon

The Girl In The Photographs has the distinction of having one of the creepiest film stills in this year's Midnight Madness programme.

So who is the man behind this creepiest of film stills? Nick Simon.

Inspired by a short film he made at the AFI, writer/director Nick Simon's feature debut, Removal, got a lot of positive buzz in 2010. The story of a burned out man whose carpet-cleaning job is the only shred of normalcy in his troubled life, resonated with genre fans that enjoy twisty thrillers centered on unreliable narrators. And of course, it resonated with genre fans that enjoy a lot of blood (those carpet cleaners get called in for a reason, people).

After that, Simon worked on the script for. 2013's Cold Comes The Night, a gritty, low-key suspense film starring Alice Eve (The Raven) and everyone's favorite Heisenberg, Bryan Cranston. Directed by Tze Chun (who, along with Removal actor Oz Perkins, also wrote the script), Cold Comes The Night was also a crowd-pleaser.

That's the smile of a man who knows his movie is going to scare the hell out of you.

Simon's latest film, The Girl in the Photographs (one which he wrote and directed), is screening at the Festival this year as part of the Midnight Madness programme. Here's the scoop as to at least part of what's behind that creepy film still:

Colleen (Claudia Lee), a bored young woman in a sleepy community called Spearfish, starts receiving photographs of brutally murdered young women. Are they real or staged? The culprit is either a serial killer or some creep with a sick sense of humour, not that the cops are doing much about it either way.

But when news of the twisted photo campaign hits the internet, famous LA-based celebrity photographer Peter Hemmings (clearly a tip to David Hemmings' shutterbug character in Blow-Up, and played to hilariously arrogant perfection by Kal Penn) decides to take a trip back to his hometown, Spearfish, to investigate

Once again, Simon has collaborated on the script with Oz Perkins. Legendary cinematographer for John Carpenter, Dean Cundey (Halloween, The Fog, Escape From New York), shot the film, while another horror legend, the recently departed Wes Craven, served as an executive producer.

Call us impressed! To find out the mystery of The Girl In The Photographs, you'll have to catch a screening, and you're in luck: there are three at this year's Festival.

THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPHS Screening Times:
Mon, Sept 14, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Wed, Sept 16, 5:00 PM SCOTIABANK 1
Fri, Sept 18, 9:15 PM SCOTIABANK 3

THE DEVIL'S CANDY: Profile of Director Sean Byrne

If the name Sean Byrne, director of The Devil's Candy, sounds familiar, there's a reason why.

Byrne's first feature, The Loved Ones, screened at Midnight Madness back in 2009 where it won the People's Choice Award. It was also a huge critical success, both with horror fans and more highbrow critics like Variety's Dennis Harvey who said it "transcends mere torture porn in its deftly controlled mix of empathy, grotesquerie and sardonic humor."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves, Dennis. For those who don't already know, here's the plot of The Loved Ones.

That's gotta hurt.

High school student Brent has become super emo since his dad was killed in a car crash. When classmate Lola asks him to the prom, he politely declines, since he's already going with his girlfriend Holly. Bad idea, Brent. Taking the events of Carrie one step further, all of the truly terrible things that happen to people in The Loved Ones don't even take place at the actual prom. See, Lola and her dad have a way to ensure sure the word "rejection" isn't a part of her would-be boyfriends' vocabularies... literally. They kidnap, torture, and disable the vocal cords (syringe + bleach = silent screaming) of every guy who says no to her and then keep the poor fellows locked up in the basement.

With such an auspicious debut, the horror community has been salivating for another taste of Sean Byrne's particular flavor of cinematic psychosis. (Not like we were going to kidnap him and keep him in our basements or anything, mind you.) So it's great that he's back at the Festival this year with The Devil's Candy. Here's the scoop on what this movie is about:

A struggling painter is possessed by satanic forces after he and his young family move into their dream home in rural Texas, in this creepy haunted-house tale.

"Why yes I do look like Franco Nero in The Visitor!"

It's a short and (not-so) sweet synopsis, but as Byrne explained to Midnight Madness blogger Robert A. Mitchell, "the fun is in not knowing!" (If you haven't read that interview, you can do so here.)

My fave quote? " I hope it creeps like death, sends chills then attacks the throat. I hope it feels like hell has risen."

Prepare your throats to be attacked when The Devil's Candy hits the screen!

THE DEVIL'S CANDY Screening Times:
Sun, Sept 13, 11:59 PM RYERSON
Tue, Sept 15, 6:45 PM SCOTIABANK 9
Sat, Sept 19, 1:15 PM SCOTIABANK 14