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Why Dir. Darren Bousman of ‘Spiral’ & ‘Death of Me’ Created His Own Mythology

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Darren Bousman is a horror movie visionary. He’s directed some of the genre’s most successful films; movies like Saw II, III, and IV. He has also done some great cult classics such as Repo: The Genetic Opera and Tales of Halloween. Bousman’s latest entry into the Jigsaw universe, Spiral: From the Book of Saw was supposed to have a 2020 release but has been heeled into 2021 like most blockbusters that fell victim to theatrical pandemic restrictions.

There is good news though, and that comes in the form of his latest movie Death of Me which hits theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 2, 2020. It’s a bit of a murder mystery, if you will,  which centers around American married couple Christine and Neil (Maggie Q and Luke Hemsworth respectively). As they vacation in Thailand, strange things begin to happen after it’s discovered that Neil appears to kill Christine on video.

Maggie Q & Luke Hemsworth in "Death of Me."

Maggie Q & Luke Hemsworth in “Death of Me.”

Moreover, neither of them has a recollection of the incident and an approaching storm threatens to keep them stranded before the mystery can be solved.

Bousman sat down with iHorror to explain a little about his career, the future of Spiral, and why Death of Me is sort of a turning point in his career.

We also got a chance to speak with Alex Essoe (Starry Eyes, Doctor Sleep) who plays Samantha; a mysterious American woman in the film who may have an island secret of her own.

Speaking with Bousman, I was a little taken aback by his casual nature. Not that I expected him to be stoic or forbearing, but let’s face it, 2020 has been hard on everybody, especially artists. Instead, the 41-year-old was very eager to talk about pretty much anything. We started off talking about Death of Me’s shooting locations.

Maggie Q in "Death of Me"

Maggie Q in “Death of Me”

“We filmed half of it in Bangkok and another half in a place called in Krabi which was where we filmed all the water shots and those pretty ocean shots,” he explains. “And then the other part was filmed in Bangkok and they could not have been two polar opposites. One is the most beautiful wide-open area possible then you go to Bangkok and it’s packed, and it’s crowded—there were tons of people. It was quite a unique experience.”

This novel shooting location was perfect for the story. Although viewers might think the local lore in the film is based on fact, it’s really not. That’s something Bousman was adamant about.

“So, one of the things that was really critical of myself and the producers—actually all the filmmakers going into this—is that you’re not going in and making islanders as savage, nefarious, terrible people. It’s not a good look.”

He adds: “One of the things we wanted to do was first off,  fictionize the mythology so we’re not actually damning a certain belief system or mythology. We created a mythology from the ground up. Secondly, I wanted to make sure that some of the villains in the piece were not just to get islanders being terrible to westerners. So casting played a very big role in this. Casting somebody like Maggie Q who, in the movie, numerous times they think she’s from the island. You know the doctor and everyone asking, ‘you don’t you speak Thai?’ And she’s like ‘no, I’m American.’”

That brings us to a character that lives on the island who is actually an American settler, Samantha, played Alex Essoe. She plays the owner of the Airbnb. Bousman says he made her an expatriot for a good reason, “I wanted to make sure to depict that some of the most manipulating people on this trajectory of this sacrifice were not islanders at all but people that had transplanted to the island.”

Alex Essoe & Maggie Q in "Death of Me."

Alex Essoe & Maggie Q in “Death of Me.”

Alex Essoe as Samantha

Essoe’s character has questionable motivations. She says that depending on how you look at it Samantha could be good or bad.

“I think, as far as her sort of ideological social circle goes, she’s definitely a hero,” Essoe told me over the phone. “She thinks of herself as a hero certainly which is kind of what is so scary about the fundamentalists, the believers. That is really scary because when you believe in something anything you do in service of that is justified in your mind.”

Creepier still is how Essoe plays the part; a sort of low-key burn that feels altruistic, but maybe a little sinister.

“Actually, one of the things that Darren said that completely clicked it into place for me was very much based on Ruth Gordon’s character from Rosemary’s Baby,” Essoe says. “You know, she’s a sweet little old lady who brings her (Rosemary) stuff to eat and things to wear around her neck to make her feel better. And Ruth Gordon is one of my heroes. A brilliant actress and writer. This woman is so smart and the way she played that character is so smart.”

Maggie Q in "Death of Me"

Maggie Q in “Death of Me”

Bousman agrees it’s scarier to have people in films do seemingly nefarious things for their greater good. “They are not villainous for what they’re doing. They are trying to protect their family, protect their elders, protect their children, and preserve their way of life. And would you not do the same thing if it was not your family?”

That could also be said of another character of questionable ethics, Jigsaw, in the Saw movies. His victims are given choices, all of them gruesome. In Death of Me, there is some graphic violence but it’s not as prevalent as the body horror the director’s known for. Bousman says his tastes have changed over the years.

“As I’ve gotten older and since I’ve had kids, for sure, my relationship with gore is changed,” he says. “I’m a lot more squeamish now than I ever was. I’m affected by those images a lot more than I ever have been. I think because I can put myself in a position of my own children, of my own family.

“That said, you know, I still love horror movies and I still love violent movies. And trust me, Spiral is violent. Death of Me has violence in it. The difference is, I don’t use violence as a gimmick, and I don’t use gore as a gimmick which I used to.”

Darren Bousman and crew on the set of "Death of Me"

Darren Bousman and crew on the set of “Death of Me”

“When I was making my early films, that was a thing. I remember when I was making Saw 3, Eli Roth and I would always text each other and try to outdo each other. It was a thing between Eli Roth, Rob Zombie and myself—we’d always try to one-up each other. We had this set of ongoing jokes between Saw 3 and 4, and I think he was shooting Hostel 2 and I forget what Rob was doing—he wasn’t doing Halloween, it wasn’t Devil’s Rejects either—I’m not sure what he was doing. And to me it was a gimmick, I used violence as a gimmick. Now I think I use violence as a part to tell the story.”

Unlike Spiral, Death of Me is a smaller production. I asked Bousman if that was more relaxing not to be under the constant supervision of studio execs or other outside voices.

“Nah, this was probably the most stressful movie in some respects because we had no time,” he says. “It was complete, complete rapid-fire shooting. We shot the movie in about 21 days I believe. But more than that there was no prep. I think we had about two weeks to prep everything. That’s not a lot of time. With Spiral we had eight weeks.”

“Like, Maggie arrived on Monday and we filmed on Tuesday; there’s no time on things like this. But I also think that also helps the movie. There’s not a vocal chorus of people trying to try different things. And that’s kind of how this movie worked.”

Maggie Q in "Death of Me"

Maggie Q in “Death of Me”

Death of Me is one of those horror movies that probably won’t get the press it deserves unlike Spiral, but it’s definitely worth a watch. The mystery unfolds in backward order which is fun and adds to the suspense.

“Those are my favorite kinds of movies as well; I’m sure you can tell. I really, really like doing that subgenre.”

As for Spiral, Bousman assures me it’s coming. For now, it’s scheduled for March 2021.

Spiral was supposed to come out a while ago and then it got derailed like most movies did due to COVID,” he says before we hang up. “I hope that we can figure out COVID quickly and get back because I want to go in and see Spiral. You know, it’s such a cool movie. I’m so excited for people to check that out.”

For now, you can check out Death of Me when it hits select theaters, On Demand and Digital on October 2, 2020.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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