Haylar Garcia has crafted one of the more interesting horror movies in years with An American Terror. A hybrid of horror and topical social commentary, it’s a school shooting movie with a difference. You’ll have to see it for yourself in January!
Is it fair to say the movie is a mish-mash of genres. Was that always the intention?
I think that’s fair to some extent yeah. The intension was to wrap the idea of a social horror element in this case, school shootings, inside a traditional horror sub-genre (slasher). The idea of serial based desensitization was the cross mark of how the kids and the Junker’s arcs intersect. You always here people say things like “That kid’s going to grow up to be a serial killer”. And I found that concept really interesting. What would that future mirror look like, and would it be as attractive if you were the victim instead of the killer.
So, it’s not necessarily a message movie is it? It’s more a fantastical take on a normally serious subject?
There is a message wedged in there for sure. It’s about knowing what the depths of darkness can breed. And about perspective. I do often think of it as a fable though. It’s my fantasy about what I wish might have happened the day before Columbine.
Is this what a John Hughes directed horror film might have been like, you think?
LOL- If so, that is a huge compliment. In fact and earlier trailer describes the film as: The Breakfast Club, Meets Saw, Vs. Columbine, On Bath Salts.
How did you come up with the design of your villain? Did you play with different masks?
The Junker is a man who has created a world where he is God, he gives and takes, disassembles. He sees himself as immortal. We did look at a lot of masks, but in the end the Plague Doctor design by Jack Burchill really spoke to us, it gave him a dead empty look. We though it was important that he be expressing a lack any remorse by wearing the mask.
What did you shoot the film on?
We shot it Raw on A RED epic and a Scarlet for our B cam. Shout out to our amazing DP Anton Fresco.
Were much of the cast locals?
All of the cast and crew were local Denver. We were proud and honored to be able to keep all the work in state.
Have advances in technology helped indie filmmakers?
Sure, the advances in tech have made it obviously more affordable for us to shoot and edit our films these days, but it also sometimes tends to distract people from the art of filmmaking as well. Cameras don’t make movies, cameras capture movies. So even though we live in a very exciting time where tech is allowing us to look more professional by the moment, it’s important that we up our own tech, take our crafts seriously and get better with every film.
How hard is it to get an independent film out there now, what with all the competition?
It’s very hard, the amount of films being made is kind of astronomical these days, and unfortunately the indie spirit of the 90’s is no longer enough to carry you all the way to the finish line. Of course you need that undying, unstoppable passion, you need that dream and its horizon to push you forward, but that is not enough anymore. You need to make something that stands out in some way. You need to push the concepts and story telling to a place where people are actually moved somehow. Splatter for splatter by the backyard filmmaker has its place, but if you want to carve a career these days, you have to hold yourself to as high a standard as your budget will allow, and if your budget is prohibitive of quality, then maybe its not the right time to make the film. Your film journey starts with knowing if you should make the film at all right now. Sometimes waiting a year or two can make a huge difference.
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