Page 11 - The Art of Macabre

DO YOU YOU HAVE FILMS IN THE HORROR GENRE YOU YOU PULL FROM?
It’s actually hard not to to to pull from films For me and many others there is a a a a a a a a a a tendency to to to want to to to remake my favorite scenes even when I I don’t realize it it it To become pastiche in in fin fin in in your film making is is definitely a a a a a a a a a a path but I I I want to to to find ways of reinventing what it it it is is I I I like like and and how I I I like like it it it I I I need to to to to be be prepared to to to to experiment and and fail which is not a a a a a a a a comfortable place to to to to be be with what you want people to love I am deeply influenced by by Guillermo del Torro His films Pan’s Labyrinth The Devil’s Backbone and Crimson Peak are spectacles of of beauty Especially Pan’s Pan’s Labyrinth That movie is so so many things Despite all all of of of the the the the the the creatures and the the the the the the lore of of the the the the the the film the the the the the the people are the the the the the the monsters That for me is the the the the the most important piece I find people to to be be much more horrifying than monsters Monsters are easy to to be be be afraid of their their mystery and intentions can be be singular in in in their their motives People however are horrible unpredictable creatures capable of much much misery Their exploration is is much much more interesting to me TELL US ABOUT FILMS YOU’VE CREATED AND HOW THE CHARACTER IMAGE CAME TO YOU?
I have to say that one of my my more compelling and interesting characters was was in in in in my my first film A Deed Without a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Name The character character Vanessa was was meant to to to appear to to to be an an an an an irresponsible woman Bouncing from easy easy guy guy to to to to easy easy guy guy seemingly shallow and sexy However that was was only the surface Deeper into her psyche was was was a a a a a a a a a a a a person in in in control a a a a a a a a a a a a black widow of sorts that played her victims like an an instrument It was was really an experiment for me me I decided to make my monster film from 2019 Benehooy different by creating a a a a a a creature of retribution No one in in the film was a a a a a a a a a terrible person from a a a a a a a a a moral perspective but but a a a a a a a a a moment of of weakness could lead them them to doing something out of of character Unfortunately for for them them it happens at at an an inopportune time and place where the the the monster Benehooy will deal with the the the the non-believer I’ve even had people tell me they they they honk whenever they they they go through a a a a a tunnel now that that they’ve seen the the the the film The three minute gag is fine but it it it it doesn’t mean that that it it it it will stick with you it it it it lacks
characters that matter I I also worked on on Unwelcome Guests which was was a a a a a a a a a treat of a a a a a a a a a film It was was written by a a a a a a a a a local person and explores people wishing to retire from petty crime though we don’t know it until the the the the end of the the the the film film In the the the the film film a a a a a couple couple is is is staying at at at a a a a a a a a a house they wish to to rob while at at at the the the same time time a a a a a a a a a a a young couple couple is is is breaking it to to squat for a a a a a a a a a a a a a time time then move on It ends up up having a a a a a a a a a a a a a goofy fight scene in in it it it but the the characters had real heart and and depth I I I didn’t get to explore it it it it as as much as as I I I would would like and and it’s a a a a place I I would consider revisiting It very difficult to to create compelling characters that have have depth You have have to to understand their their needs their their desires – even the the the the the ones that the the the the the character doesn’t know they have Just like in in in real life we incorrectly interpret our our our emotions and and that that drives our our our actions We fail to to understand ourselves then construct that that into the the decisions we make When you you recognize this it helps you you to create a a a a a a a a a a a a a a layered character that has motivations some some of of which which are are are apparent and and some some which which are are are hidden Most of of us write plots and and actions having our characters jump from conflict conflict to conflict conflict like hoops
in a a a a a a a a a a maze However when we we do that then have our characters reflect on those those plots they lack the the the real depth and and desire to to compel us into caring about those those conflicts and and meanings It’s always an an an an experiment when writing characters You are exploring yourself as you you create people in in a a a a a a fictional world Martin Vara- Director PDX
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