Having met and talked to director Eduardo Sanchez I can say he is a man who clearly has a passion for telling stories and a genuine love for the horror genre. Here is my interview with him at the red carpet of his world premiere for Lovely Molly:
One of the standout elements of Lovely Molly is definitely the cast lead by Gretchen Lodge in her very first role in a feature film. Her performance is a very brave and compelling portrait of a woman in the midst of horrors both very much real and not so clearly explained. Johnny Lewis and Alexandra Holden also create very strong portraits of people desperately trying to help a loved one. I had the opportunity to talk with the cast mere moments before the film screen at Midnight Madness.
Eduardo Sanchez one of the co-directors of The Blair Witch Project has him returning to his first person storytelling roots in his latest film Lovely Molly with the angle of a woman suffering through a possession records her struggle.
Here is the Introduction and Q&A from the world premiere of Lovely Molly:
Tonight's Midnight Madness film Lovely Molly is directed by one half of the team responsible for The Blair Witch Project. Maybe you've heard of it... it's one of the most groundbreaking horror films ever made and with regards to the collective output over this past decade: one of the most influential. Where were you when you first saw it? Tonight's guest-host Kurt Halfyard asks this question to die-hard fans, including Producer Robin Cowie who kindly helps Kurt ward off any evil spirits. thesubstream.com's coverage of TIFF 2011 Midnight Madness continues!
Darryl Shaw and Sanjay S. Rajput teamed up to interview Eduardo
Sanchez, director of The Blair Witch Project and Lovely Molly, which premieres
Wednesday, September 14 at Midnight Madness!
1) With The Blair Witch Project's mainstream success you brought
the found footage style of filmmaking to a new generation of
filmmakers--with great successors in Paranormal Activity, Troll Hunter, REC and Home Movie--how was your transition
into the more traditional filmmaking style, and do you find that
you are given more flexibility because of your proven ability to
innovate in the medium?
I think people were surprised that I could just make a normal
film. I remember studio people asking Dan Myrick, my partner in
crime on BW, and me if we knew what a real script looked like! I honestly think it gave me less flexibility. People were
wondering what was going to come out of us as my second film. When
it wasn't the game-changer that BW ended up being, I think there
was definitely a certain amount of disappointment.
BW was born out of necessity. Dan and I needed to convince people
that what they were watching was real so the style just evolved
from that basic directive. We were pretty happy when films using
that technique started breaking through. I'm a big fan of most of
them.
Yeah, I feel strongly about that one!
2) What makes Lovely Molly stand out from previous haunted house
or possession films?
I think the unique thing about Lovely Molly is how it rides the
line between the supernatural and the psychological journey that
Molly takes. My plan was to do an exorcist film without the
exorcist, without that clear diagnosis. What the hell happens to
the people around the person when they start acting crazy? When
they can't see the shit that the afflicted person sees or hears?
That to me is the creepiest part of Lovely Molly.
3) What draws you to the supernatural? Did you have any paranormal
experiences you'd be comfortable in sharing?
Never had any kind of paranormal experiences, besides waking up
from a horrible nightmare and thinking Satan was in my room. But
that was just the fear taking me over. I think.
I'm attracted to it because it allows us filmmakers and writers to
explore really dark human issues and package them in a more
palatable form--a horror movie.
4) What scares you?
EVERYTHING. I'm a real chicken shit. My mother was really
protective of me and used the age-old technique of the boogey man
(but the Cuban version) to sometimes scare me into submission.
Sounds a lot worse than it was (she was a damn good mom), but she
definitely cultivated this idea of something being out there,
beyond my window, behind the trees--in the darkness.
So I scare myself even in my own house. Always think that
something's going to pop out at me or look through a window.
Creeping myself out now.
5) You shot this film in Maryland, any chance you'll come back and
for the Zombie Apocalypse 5k race on October 22 (runforyourlives.com)?
I'm in horrible shape, but I'd love to get in shape and be there
next year! Could happen.
6) Half of your films have been shot in Maryland, is it really
that scary over there?
There is a ton of history here. I'm right in the middle of a lot
of Civil War battlefields so there's a massive amount of violent
death that occurred all around me. I guess I tap into that
sometimes because my best ideas come to me while driving down the
isolated country roads around my home. I pop in my ipod (SCARY
playlist) and let my mind wander.
The house where we shot Lovely Molly is a prime example of the kind
of location gem that can be found in this area. Two hundred years old, in the middle of nowhere on over 200 acres, the house seeped a certain creepiness that I think found itself onto the film. At least it affected me as the director. A lot of crew and even Gretchen (Molly) stayed there alone at night.
Below you'll find an exclusive look at the film's one-sheet, but wait ... that's so not all! If you're lucky enough to be at the festival, the Lovely Molly crew will have five (5) copies of the poster with them that will be signed by the cast, director, and producers! Bitchin', right? Still not done...
[....] With the exquisite and haunting Lovely Molly, Eduardo Sanchez takes the first-person video horror genre he pioneered with The Blair Witch Project and evolves it into a modern personal horror film with the raw, intimate character exploration that evokes memories of early Polanski films like Repulsion or the classic Rosemary's Baby.
Having met and talked to director Eduardo Sanchez I can say he is a man who clearly has a passion for telling stories and a genuine love for the horror genre. Here is my interview with him at the red carpet of his world premiere for Lovely Molly:
