Interview by Melissa Antoinette Garza
Nowadays, it’s difficult to find a great horror film. Whether it’s a major motion picture or a low budget flick, so often the audiences are disappointed. Thankfully, sometimes there are surprises. Just as I was shocked at how amazing The Conjuring (2013) turned out to be, I was just as surprised and delighted with 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph. Recently, I had the pleasure to discuss the great low budget film with the very talented writer and director Zack Scott. Here is what he had to say.
MG: In the 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph, one can certainly see the influence of the horror great Sam Raimi? Who are your other inspirations and influences? In your opinion, who are the horror greats?
Sam Raimi’s work was definitely an huge inspiration for the film! “Evil Dead 2” is definitely in my list of Top five films of all time just because it blended humor and horror in such a great way as well as the way that the camera was used and the sound design. The laughing lamp gets me every time.
George Lucas has always been a huge inspiration in all of my work. Whenever I’m writing a screenplay, his infamous quote “A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing” is always in the back of my head because it is the story that matters. Yes, people have given him some grief because of the Star Wars Prequels but when you really look at them the truly bad one was Episode 2. Episode 1 really tried to capture the magic of the original Star Wars and I cry every time I screen Episode 3. However it is in his editing that he really shines. Before Star Wars, no one ever thought of chopping up three action sequences and tell three different stories at the same time.
I love the way Francis Coppola makes a film and I’m so glad that he’s continuing to make them.
Other influences are Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Stanley Kubrick, and Quentin Tarantino. I know that this list is a fairly generic list but all of these filmmakers were people that got me interested in making movies. Each one has a distinctive style and can tell a story really well and were not scared of taking chances. Woody allen followed the great “Annie Hall” and “Manhattan” with “Interiors” and “Stardust Memories”. Scorsese followed “Goodfellas” (which is “Rock and Roll Filmmaking” at it’s best) with “Cape Fear” a total departure from what he is known for and was his highest grossing film at the time. Peter Jackson has such a great visual style, almost like Sam Raimi, and he started just like Raimi, making independent films his way. Ridley Scott’s films have such a lived in look to them and I just loved Prometheus. In fact he, Kubrick and Tarantino never made the same movie twice! That’s what I want to do. Tackle every genre. And when Spielberg wants to say something in a film he says it. I feel that “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” should be played as a double feature. They were the best pictures of last year.
As far who are the horror greats, that is a real tough question. Tobe Hooper’s name comes to mind. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Poltergeist” are two of the scariest films out there. Of course “The Exorcist” is too but Freidkein never touched Horror again and I applaud him for that. How can you top it? Hitchcock also comes to mind because, c’mon! He’s the master of Suspense. In the film world I tend to look at the films themselves. Geoges Franju’s “Eyes Without a Face” is probably one of the scariest films that I’ve ever saw!. Brian Depalma’s “Sisters” is another great scare and I feel is his best film along with “Blow Out”. Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” is simply terrifying. So is David Cronenberg’s “Videodrome” and Roman Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby”. But I think one of the most terrifying films is Robert Altman’s “3 Women”. You wouldn’t think that Robert Altman would have done a horror film but that film is definitely true horror!
As far as an all around horror great, I would have to go with Stephen King. I just love his writing not just because that his stories are great but when you read his books you can tell that he is having such a great time writing them. When I was doing the final polishes to “The 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph” I had just picked up “Under the Dome” and, with all of Stephen King books that I read, I went straight to the Author’s Note (usually located at the end of the book) where he gives a background to the story and gives his thanks to those who contributed to the writing process. There he thanked his story editor Nan Graham who consistently urged him to keep his pedal consistently to the metal. I took that as inspiration especially with the final 60 pages of the script.
I was very impressed with the technological aspects of the movie like the lighting, the shots, and the editing. Where did you learn your technique?
Honestly, years of practice! I started editing at the age of 12. My cousin had two Pro-sumer VCR’s and I started making music videos by taping reruns of Gilligan’s Island and then putting them to music with “Weird Al” Yankovic songs. I then started making sketch comedy films with my best friend (and co-story writer) Brian Wright when were in high school. I think I only took one actual editing class in College. But most of my skills came from watching DVD special features, listening to audio Commentaries, and learning by osmosis. Some of the best are Robert Rodriguez’s DVD’s for the Mariachi Trilogy, the Evil Dead 2 DVD, and the original Star Wars: Episode One documentary “The Beginning”.
I never plan out my shots ahead of time. Yes, I have an idea about what I want to shoot but filmmaking is a collaborative process. How I work is, once I have the actors ready with make up and costume, we rehearse the scene that is about to be shot. Once I see what they are bringing to the table, I then place the camera where I feel will best serve the scene. I always work with two cameras so that we can easily get a great performance without compromising the final edit with different takes. When it came to the fight scenes we did the same thing. Choreograph, rehearse, perform, then place the cameras.
85% of the film is shot with natural lighting. I think we only used lights for about three days of filming and that is when it was absolutely necessary. We used lights in the apartment scenes, and I think in the cabin scene for when Rufus (Derek Houck) came into the cabin only because we were shooting in the afternoon and the sun was starting to backlight Liz (Kate Nichols) and Rufus. But the cabin was constructed so that we could remove a panel of the wall and place a light on the outside of the cabin. Other than that we just got really lucky with the lighting. Even the parking structure was all natural lighting.
MG: The story in the 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph is refreshingly original? Where did you get the idea for story?
That goes all the way back to 1998. I had just moved into a wonderful house in the hood of Long Beach, California with some friends from college. My friend Thomas D. Butler and I were sitting on the couch drinking beers and Tom looked around the living room, turned to me and said “You know, this would be a great place for a horror movie”. The next day, I wrote the treatment to the first “The 28th Day”. It originally had my friend Michael Raykiewicz’s girlfriend at the time, Amanda, as the woman who gets possessed on her period. A couple years later, I rewrote it and had our friend Cassidy Scott as the one who gets possessed. It was my first feature. We shot it in 2001 and released it in 2006. It was big in Texas for some reason. I thought that was it for “The 28th Day” but I really liked the way the actress who played Steph (Bridgette Gress) worked. She was probably the most natural actor in the film. So I decided to write a sequel around that character. While writing the screenplay, I met a girl named Liz Luckey at the place that I was working at. I loved the name so much that I made her a character. My brother Eli Scott helped me write some of the scenes but I came to a stopping point, not knowing where to go after the great “We’re Superbitches” scene. So I put it on the shelf to collect dust. Years passed and, looking for a project of my own, I picked up the half written screenplay and started reading it again. I really liked it but it was still rough. I gave it to Brian Wright to see what he had to say about it. He loved it and told me a couple of ways to make it even better. So I rewrote it.
I wanted strong women characters in the story because I’ve always felt that in traditional horror films, women always got the lower hand either being victims or always going to a man to help them. I didn’t want that. I wanted Steph and Liz to be strong. To be able to take care of themselves. I also wanted the story to be truly about friendship and what true friends would do to help out each other. I made final polishes right during the 2012 elections when the Conservatives were basically pulling an all out war on women. This made me write Steph’s and Liz’s characters even stronger. I don’t like to put politics in my work but what the conservatives were doing was wrong and basically trying to take the country back to the early 1900’s. I felt that was wrong.
MG: Why did you elect to self-distribute rather than going through a distributor?
It’s tough to get get actual distribution this day and age. Hell, it’s tough to even get into film festivals. We’ve already been declined by two film festivals (Screamfest and Shockfest). I know why, because the film isn’t a typical horror film. It’s a ghost story! There’s no gore and there’s lots of jokes in the film. But when you think about it, the real game changers in the horror world (“Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “The Evil Dead”, “The Hills Have Eyes”, and “I Spit on Your Grave”) were all independent films that were self distributed at the start.
However we do live in a world where you can put your film out there and with a lot of hard work and determination, you can get your film seen. I love the fact that Amazon.com has a way that independent filmmakers can put their work out there for the world to see with their DVD on Demand and Instant watcher. Plus the fact that so many Blu-Ray and DVD Players support Amazon Instant so that people can rent the film for only three bucks for 7 days! That’s better than any video store! Also social networks like Facebook where I can drop $100.00 and promote the film’s release to the followers of The 28th Day fan page and their friends. Plus there are so many review sites, like yours, that are always looking for new films to review. It just takes that one site to make any film the next sensation. In my opinion, it’s all about word of mouth.
It appears that the times are passing for many horror distributors. Do you agree with this and if so, what do you see for the future of these once powerful labels?
There will never be a “Video Nasties” or to a greater degree “New Line Cinema” anymore. Those days have past. However there are still great niche video distributors. Synapse Films and Blue Underground are a couple that come to mind. They are still releasing horror films every month on DVD and BluRay. The Criterion Collection still releases horror films every October. The problem is that the audience has to go to great lengths (and worse great cost) to find them. Most big box retailers don’t carry a great selection of movies anymore and the old video store where you can browse the aisles and find that great lost classic are now no more. I know that I’m showing my age here but I do miss the video store. That’s where I discovered the films that inspired me to get into filmmaking.
MG: What was the most difficult thing in the filmmaking process and what was the most
unusual?
Every day was different when shooting this film. I had two lead actresses who were cast as Steph back out of the project during filming. Shooting in the forest location was a challenge because we had to hike a half a mile to set every day and were exposed to the elements. WE had sandstorms, Bug infestations, you name it!
Kate Nichols (Liz Lucky) got the most of it since her character was the most active. We had one stunt where she had to roll down a three foot dirt hill. After the first take, she looked up at me and asked “Why do I feel itchy?” It turned out that she landed in a patch of stinging nettles. I felt so bad but she continued on after My stunt coordinator and I went through the landing spot and tried to get all of the nettles out of the area.
Streaming films definitely seems to be the wave of the future however DVD extras like commentaries, deleted scenes, etc. now often end up never being seen by the public. What do you think the future will bring for these lost gems that the viewers seemingly are always interested in?
I feel that the true fans of film will always be interested in the making of their favorite film. We live in a culture where if someone really loves something, they want it in their hands. I would love to do a special edition of “The 28th Day:THe Wrath of Steph” with commentary and I have 17 episodes of making of the film (Which is already available on You Tube in a way of promoting the film) and a blooper reel. Streaming is just one way of getting your product out to the masses. It’s a matter of convenience. Just like channels like HBO and Showtime. Those channels didn’t kill the whole wanting to buy the DVD of a film. Those channels were just a way of showing your film to an audience that probably wouldn’t go out to the theaters to see it. Yet, people still bought the film that they loved.
MG: The business has moved from the camcorder to the DSLRs of the world. What do you think of this move and what do you shoot with?
We used DSLRs while making “The 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph”. I love them. My “A” Camera was the Cannon 5D and my “B” Camera was the Cannon Rebel. They were so light and we could get into so many tight spaces with these relatively small cameras. I would not have been able to do some of the stuff that I did with the RED or an Arriflex. Plus the quality is just so much better than the camcorder at such a relatively cheep price.
With the affordability of filmmaking, it has allowed anyone with a few bucks and some ambition to get into the game. Is that good for the game or does it flood the market too much, making it difficult for the truly standouts to make it?
Filmmaking has truly gone from the mass market rich boys game to a true art form. I love where it is right now. To quote Stanley Kubrick: “What could stop me from making a film? I just pick up a camera, shoot and I’d have a film. Even though the first couple of films were bad”. That quote has always inspired me and should inspire any aspiring filmmaker.
Honestly, those that want to get into filmmaking should just get into it. If your first film doesn’t succeed, try again. Sooner or later you will find that success. But you’ve got to be persistent and you’ve got to be very thick skinned because there will always be those that will want to drag you down and bad mouth your work. If you truly believe in yourself and your vision, you will succeed. The true standouts will make it.
MG: What do you think of the current direction of horror? What do you think of the found footage, torture porn, and remake craze that has all but taken over the market?
I don’t like it. There has been one great horror film that has been released in each of those sub-categories: “The Blair Witch Project”, “Saw”, and “Rob Zombies Halloween”. That’s because they caught lightning in a bottle and they were successful! Especially “Halloween” because Zombie explored the character of Michael Myers. After the success of those three came the flood of copy cats be it mainstream or independent film. Because of that, I think it cheapened the horror film. I was totally excited for the “Evil Dead” remake because Sam Raimi, Rob Tappert, and Bruce Campbell were apart of the film. Yet when I saw it, I was bored out of my mind. I mean it did it’s job with the gross out’s and the shocks but I didn’t care for the characters. It was too slow. Yet I can’t wait for Army of Darkness 2.
MG: What direction would like to see modern horror take and what (if anything) do you think is missing from the current mainstream entries?
Originality is the key for any genre. Invest in your characters. Take the audience on a journey that they’ve never been before. I mean when you think about the great horror films that we talk about what do they have? Why did “The Exorcist” work? Because we cared for Reagan. Why did “A Nightmare on Elm Street” work? Because we are all scared of the boogey man. Why did “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” work? Because it was unrepentantly scary where it just didn’t let up to give the audience a rest. That’s what is missing in the current mainstream market. Of course we are all here to make a buck and these newer films are moderately successful but I do feel that it is hindering the genre.
MG: Do you have any current projects you’re working on and what can we look forward to seeing from you in the future?
Yes I do! Right now we are putting the final polishes on a new script “Little Magdeline” which is a romantic comedy. Kate Nichols and Thomas D. Butler are helping me with that. We should start shooting that one in Spring on 2014. I also have a Sci-Fi epic that is being worked on called “Sonic Smith’s True Calling” which is like “Star Wars” meets “Brazil” with a touch of “Buckaroo Banzai”. That script is in second draft stage right now and we should start shooting that in 2015 in Bulgaria.
MG: Is there anything else you’d like to mention or any parting words you’d like to leave us with?
This film wouldn’t have been made without the help and support of some wonderful people. If we didn’t get Jodie Grundin to play the role of Steph, I don’t think the film would have been as good as it is. My Assistant Director Micah Grey Luke was there with me since day one and was so passionate about the film. He really wanted to see this film done. My Associate Producer Kate Nichols helped so much in gathering a crew together, was there to let me vent, and also gave me a good kick in the ass when it came to the editing process. The film would not flow as fast and furious as it does without her insights.
This film was a labor of love from everyone involved. We knew that this was our calling card. A way of showing the world what we have to offer with the tools that we had on hand. I do hope that people will discover this film and have as much fun watching it as we did making it.
MG: It was an absolute pleasure speaking with you. For those who are looking for a great Halloween treat, check out 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph.
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