Horror fans will recognize him from the top-rated Horror short WORM, and tonight, I Like Horror Movies is happy to sit down with Fatal Pictures' Richard Powell, who has recently completed work on his next short, FAMILIAR!
ILHM: Richard, you have seen two previous successes in the Indie circuit with the individual releases of CONSUMPTION and WORM. Tell us a little about the films leading up to your newest short, FAMILIAR.
RICHARD POWELL: CONSUMPTION is the story of a professor seeking out a willing victim to take part in a pact of consensual cannibalism. The film was very low budget but features some great and gory FX work by the Butcher Shop. I've come to view CONSUMPTION as an extension of my film school studies, as I learned a great deal of what to do and not do in independent short filmmaking while making that film. Everything I learned was applied in the making of WORM. WORM was a very ambitious short as it takes places in a high school and was shot on film. It was a difficult film to make but in the end a very worthwhile project. Again, we gained much great experience, developed new contacts, and found our direction as a filmmaking entity. WORM really represents my filmmaking voice as it dabbles with genre elements while sticking to a more character centric narrative. Both shorts have played internationally and taken in awards. WORM has gained much critical acclaim thanks to the wonderful performance of its lead Robert Nolan.
ILHM: The teaser trailer for the film is pretty tight-lipped, can you familiarize our readers with the story?
RP: FAMILIAR is the story of John Dodd, an average man who comes to suspect the negative thoughts plauging his mind may not be his own. The film has elements of drama and horror, and another great performance by Robert Nolan.
ILHM: John Dodd is a very conflicted character. How does his struggle relate to the greater human condition?
RP: John's struggle represents the eternal battle between primal and civilized man. Instituions such as family, career, and other social constructions mold him into an acceptable member of society, but somewhere with in him and all of us is something wild that wants to break free.
ILHM: Would you say that there is a little of John in all of us at times?
RP: To varying degrees. We all have desires and goals, and when they are squashed and supressed, we grow bitter and disillusioned. It's important to follow your dreams, but as the film shows, it is easy to fall into a life you never wanted, never asked for, and escpae can seem impossible. Dark things begin to fester when the human soul is crushed under the weight of life.
ILHM: Is the film's unexpected ending meant to be interpretted literally, or is this a manifestation of his own broken psyche?
RP: I'd prefer to leave that open to interpretation.
ILHM: Robert Nolan has already won critical acclaim for his performance in WORM, was it decided that he would play John as well from the very beginning?
RP: Not at all, but during the writing stages, I was always thinking of Robert, as the characters and themes of FAMILIAR are so similiar to WORM. I let Robert read the script when finished and actually asked him to help me find a suitable actor for the role. Over a series of conversations, Robert made it clear he was interested in the part and I began to feel only he would be able to bring what I was looking for to the character. It was a natural progression and Im very thankful it was Robert who took the part.
ILHM: FAMILIAR is being likened to the works of Roman Polanski, Frank Henenlotter, and David Cronenberg. Which comparison do you feel is most accurate?
RP: It's hard to say, as I feel the comparisons being made are based on very surface level elements such as body prostehtics and monster FX. Thematically, the film is inspired by my previous short WORM, which has drawn no comparisions to any of these filmmakers due to its lack of FX and body based trauma. FAMILIAR is the flip side to WORM, an allegorical exploration of the same themes of repression, failure, and rage.
ILHM: Did either of these filmmakers have a direct influence on the making of this film?
RP: While I love the works of Polanksi and Cronenberg especially, I wouldn't say I drew any direct influence from their films. I can understand the comparions however and welcome them as I admire both filmmakers a great deal. Ive not seen much of Henenlotter's work, but I plan to in the near future.
ILHM: What is it about Canadians and "Body Horror?"
RP: I can't say for certain, but much of Canadian film is very reflective and deals with themes of identity, isolation, and alienation. These themes injected into the horror genre yields body horror I suspose, a kind of brainy, art house horror subgenre. Most of these films more than likely wouldn't have been made with the tax shelter funds without the injection of the intellectual elements of the subgenre as out right horror films rarely recieve government funding in Canada. So you could say body horror was born out of necessity in Canada, that's the pragmatic answer.
ILHM: On top of the gripping suspense, FAMILIAR promises more than a little bloodshed. Who did you go to for the effects?
RP: We enlisted the help of the talented Butcher Shop, a great group of guys who consitently bring great FX and expertise to our films. They did an amazing job!
ILHM: What do you hope that viewers will take away from the film more than anything else?
RP: I hope they feel like they've seen something distinct, different, and strong. Thats the impact I want all of our films to have. I also hope they appreciate a horror film that respects them as an audience and doesn't feel the need to talk down to them or hold their hands the whole way through. Horror fans are a lot smarter than most films give them credit for, and I feel the great response to FAMILIAR is representative of that.
Horror fans are starved for intelligent, challenging stories and that's what Fatal Pictures is planning to bring to the genre. Also listen for yet another brilliant score by our good friend and talented composer Bernie Greenspoon!
ILHM: When will fans finally get the chance to see FAMILIAR at home and on the big screen?
RP: Hopefully very soon, we are in the process of lining up festivals and screenings, and should have some news on that shortly.
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Fans can follow Richard and FAMILIAR as it begins booking festivals by visiting Fatal Pictures' websites below:
www.fatalpictures.com
www.fatalpictures.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/fatalpicrtures
Thanks again to the talented Richard Powell for an insightful look at FAMILIAR!
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