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Interview: Daniel Bruhl is “The Alienist” on TNT
For Daniel Bruhl, being cast as the title character in TNT’s new series “The Alienist” was a dream come true. The actor, who has a historian’s fascination with the past, could hardly believe the luck of being cast in a period crime drama set in New York, and the complexity of his character made the role even more thrilling.
“The Alienist” centers on Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, a psychologist in 1896 New York, who finds himself involved in the investigation of a string of brutal murders. The victims, all young boys who had been pulled into the city’s sex trade, have been horribly mutilated, and Kreizler believes that by studying the murders he and his colleagues can create a psychological portrait of who the killer is and aid in his capture.
But how does one prepare for a role that requires not only an understanding of a time period, but also the the practice of psychology in its infancy? It was a challenging question, but one that the actor was keen to answer.
“I was mesmerized by the book by Caleb Carr,” Bruhl told me when we chatted earlier this week. “I was gripped by it and these wonderful characters who are all pioneers exploring fields that we now take for granted.”
And so, his preparation began. He began to read about the history of New York and the political climate in the late 1800s while simultaneously reading the work of Freud and Jung.
It also helped that the actor’s wife is a psychologist and was able to give him insights into the history of its study and practice. In fact, it was one of those insights in particular that helped cement part of Dr. Kreizler’s personality.
“She told me that back in the day psychologists didn’t take part in what we now call instructive analysis,” he said. “Today, every shrink has to go to a psychologist themselves to help deal with the pressures of a profession which puts them face to face with people dealing with horrible mental illnesses, some of whom have done terrible things or had terrible things done to them.”
Psychologists or “alienists” as they were called at the time, did not readily have an outlet to deal with these pressures and it could take a heavy toll on them. Bruhl knew that this was key to understanding why Kreizler. so confident in analyzing others, became uncomfortable when the lens was turned upon himself.
With all of his preparation complete, the moment came to travel to Budapest where the series’ production crew had painstakingly recreated 19th century New York, and Bruhl recalls that he and his fellow actors were in awe of that creation.
“I remember walking down Mulberry St. with Luke [Evans] the first time, and we were just enthralled by it,” he said. “The passion put into building these sets was amazing. In Kreizler’s house, every piece of furniture, every prop was from the time period and that, of course, made it easier for the actors to believe that we’re living and working in that time.”
But it wasn’t all backlots and manufactured sets. Budapest itself was a boon to the production team.
“There’s so much preserved architecture from that time period, especially for filming locations for the upper class scenes,” Bruhl explained. “I didn’t know Budapest before shooting, and I was surprised by how grand and pretty it really is.”
Filming on location also enabled Bruhl and his fellow actors time to really bond and get to know each other. An amazing chemistry comes through on screen, and Bruhl pointed out that much of that came from he and his fellow actors spending most of their time together.
“None of us lives in Budapest and we actually enjoyed hanging out together even when we weren’t working,” he said. “You wouldn’t do that if you didn’t like your colleagues. It was really remarkable.”
At the end of the day, Bruhl feels honored to have been part of a project like this, and is obviously hopeful to inhabit the world again should TNT want to adapt further books in the series.
“The Alienist” airs Monday nights on TNT (check local listings for time).
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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed
Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.
This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.
The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.
The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.
Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.
Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.
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Movies
‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram
Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.
The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.
Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.
Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.
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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five
Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.
Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.
Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.
So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.
Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?
The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.
Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube
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