Interview by Geno McGahee
One of my favorite films is THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. It was a raw and powerful horror movie that has stood the test of time. It has been built on poorly and often imitated, but the original is stands alone.
There are certain films that fail to capture the spirit of the TCM and create something that is too close to the original and tend to be really uninspired. Movies like WRONG TURN just didn’t seem to get it, but a film just released by the name of “MADISON COUNTY” understood what made the TCM great and created a film that was obviously influenced by but managed to be an original entry into the horror world.
Over the years, the horror world has lost its way. The SAW franchise, endless remakes or re-imaginings, and unoriginal found footage films have made the act of finding a good horror film difficult. Although MADISON COUNTY is influenced by the TCM, it is far from a copy. It is a very interesting horror film, written by Eric England.
Through creative cinematography, great acting, a solid script, and an ambitious group, MADISON COUNTY has become a standout among the masses of horror film releases recently.
Eric England was able to sit down with — and share his experiences as a young filmmaker, discussing the horror business, MADISON COUNTY, and the future to come…
GM: How old were you when you first picked up a camera and what was the first thing that you ever shot?
You know, I actually don’t have one of those “I grew up with a camera in my hand” stories…I was kind of a late bloomer in terms of cinema because I was more focused on sports in my younger years. I always loved movies…but I come from a small town, so directing movies wasn’t really an open career path that I was aware of. In terms of my first experience with a camera, it had to have been right after high school. I was 17 and I shot a Frankenstein film adaption for my girlfriend at the time. I actually have it online still. Haha!
GM: In MADISON COUNTY, you have created a TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE-like flick with many of the elements yet have found a way to make it original. What was it like to create this flick and is it designed to be a series of movies?
It was a really fun and organic process. My favorite movie of all time is SCREAM…so I wanted to make something that was self-aware, but never made fun of itself. That’s really hard to do. So balancing the tone of the film was very important. But more than anything, I’m a fan of “killer in the woods” types of films. Whether it’s TCM, Deliverance, Wrong Turn, etc…I just wanted to do MY version of that sub-genre. And sequels were ALWAYS part of the equation. This movie was just a small part of something much bigger.
GM: One thing that I really enjoyed was when one girl was being killed and her friend gave into the instinct for survival instead of saving her. This is something you NEVER see. Was it important for you to have a character that is more real rather than the ‘bad ass’ chick that you see in so many films? How has it gone over?
Absolutely. I’m glad you picked up on that. I wanted to have characters that made “real” decisions. So even if someone did something “heroic” or even “stupid”, it still felt based in reality. It at least needed to feel motivated, rather than just out of left field. This was not a movie that needed a “bad ass” chick. There was no room for Ripley in this story.
GM: I have read that CABIN FEVER inspired you to become a filmmaker and that SCREAM is your favorite film, yet you make a TCM-feeling movie. Were there any other scripts that you developed or were working on that had the “whodunit” element of SCREAM or along the lines of CABIN FEVER and settled for MADISON COUNTY? Should we expect a throwback to a SCREAM “whodunit” sort of flick in the future?
I’ve written about 9 or 10 screenplays in my short time as a filmmaker. Some are films I’ve tried to get made and some are films that I’m currently working on. I love all kinds of movies, so naturally…I want to try and make all kinds of movies. I have a horror-comedy that I really wanna do and I actually DID write a “whodunit” for producer Zak Zeman (V/H/S, A Horrible Way to Die) that I really wanna do soon. So hopefully we’ll be able to spill some beans on that in the near future!
But Madison County was actually the 2nd screenplay I had ever written and it’s just the one that happened to get the financing before the others. And you’ll see in my next two features (ROADSIDE, post and CONTRACTED, filming) — that they’re completely different from MC. So I wanna try and do something different each time.
GM: You did many skewed shots…odd angles that were really unsettling. I was very impressed with how this was shot. Did you do research on how audiences react to this way of filming or did you follow your instincts?
Wow! You really paid attention to detail and I really appreciate that! I didn’t do any research, really…I just find myself naturally attracted to “odd” things. Anything that’s a little off or unsettling really resonates with me. So when we were filming Madison County, I would always look for ways to make the shots/frames interesting and give people’s brains to suck on, whether it was obvious or subliminal. You’ll see more Dutch angled shots in my future films as well. It’s kind of my “go-to” shot.
GM: What were the best experience and the worst experience filming this feature?
Not really sure…the entire experience was a blast. It was tough, but fun. It was a dream come true. I mean, I was a 22 year old filmmaker with dreams of making a movie…and it happened! What else could I ask for? The worst experience was definitely just fighting all the elements that my home state of Arkansas has to offer. It’s not called “The Natural State” for no reason. So unexpected rain can really dampen your time. Ha!
GM: Since you are obviously a TCM fan, what did you think of the remakes? The sequels?
You know, I’m one of the few people I know that kinda digs TCM: The Beginning. I don’t necessarily like the film…but I REALLY love the aesthetic. It’s got grittiness about it that most films don’t. I really loved the remake. It’s one of my favorite horror films. The sequels for me are a different story. I think they’re okay films…but I don’t like them in the context of the original TCM. That film just had this bleak/dark tone that was really missing from the sequels. But Caroline Williams is a friend of mine and is now filming with me on my next film, CONTRACTED…so I like her in TCM2 😉
GM: SCREAM being your favorite movie, were you disappointed with the follow ups?
Not really. I’m pretty loyal to things I love. I think 3 is my least favorite, but even still — I watch it on occasions. I dug 2 and 4 rubbed me the wrong way at first…but I came around. I think as long as Williamson is writing and Craven is directing (along with the big 3 coming back) — they can count on ticket sales from me.
GM: How do you see the current state of the horror business? What is good about it? What isn’t good about it?
I think it’s in a weird transitional phase. We’ve got REALLY tiny horror films being made for $5M and under and REALLY big horror films being made for $50M+. The days of the $10-$40M movies are over for the most part. I think it’s great for guys like me who really need to make a name for ourselves, but it also sucks because now there are big directors that are playing in our pool. But it just means we have to step up and be just as good…which I’m okay with. I dig the challenge. But I do wish studios would put some of the good lower budget films out into theaters. They deserve a life on the big screen…especially if there’s an audience for it. I’m not talking a 3,000 screen release…but 35 screens across the country in target markets won’t hurt anyone.
GM: You’re working on other films. Can you let the people know what they should expect and when?
I am! I’m currently shooting CONTRACTED, which is a psychological body-horror film about a girl that hooks up with a random stranger at a party and contracts what she thinks is an STD — but is actually something much worse. That wraps in June and I’m in post on a Hitchockian-Thriller I shot after Madison County called ROADSIDE. It’s a great, tight, tense little thriller that I’m really excited to share with everyone!
Other than that, I’m working on a couple of other indie films and got my hand on a couple of bigger films at a studio level. I’ll hopefully be announcing those in the near future!
GM: Anything to say in closing?
Thanks for having me. I’m honored that you enjoyed Madison County so much. I appreciate you paying such close attention to the little details that are often overlooked and I hope you enjoy the next films even more!
