Horror Highlights: GHOSTS AND MONSTERS: POSTWAR JAPANESE HORROR, Casting News for TRICK, ALL LIGHT WILL END Q&A

BAMcinématek is hosting a 10-film series exploring Japanese art and folklore post World War II called Ghosts and Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror starting this Friday, October 26th through November 1st. Also in today's Highlights: Dermot Mulroney joins the cast of Trick and an interview with Ted Welch and Chris Blake from All Light Will End.

Ghosts and Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror Screening Details: "From Friday, October 26 through Thursday, November 1, BAMcinématek presents Ghosts and Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror, a series of 10 films showcasing two strands of Japanese horror films that developed after World War II: kaiju monster movies and beautifully stylized ghost stories from Japanese folklore.

The series includes three classic kaiju films by director Ishirô Honda, beginning with the granddaddy of all nuclear warfare anxiety films, the original Godzilla (1954—Oct 26). The kaiju creature features continue with Mothra (1961—Oct 27), a psychedelic tale of a gigantic prehistoric and long dormant moth larvae that is inadvertently awakened by island explorers seeking to exploit the irradiated island’s resources and native population. Destroy All Monsters (1968—Nov 1) is the all-star edition of kaiju films, bringing together Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, as the giants stomp across the globe ending with an epic battle at Mt. Fuji.

Also featured in Ghosts and Monsters is Hajime Satô’s Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968—Oct 27), an apocalyptic blend of sci-fi grotesquerie and Vietnam-era social commentary in which one disaster after another befalls the film’s characters. First, they survive a plane crash only to then be attacked by blob-like alien creatures that leave the survivors thirsty for blood. In Nobuo Nakagawa’s Jigoku (1960—Oct 28) a man is sent to the bowels of hell after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run that kills a yakuza. The film, showing on an imported print from Japan Foundation, depicts a sadistic hell reminiscent of the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch.

The series spotlights a selection of atmospheric ghost stories, all screening on 35mm prints, including legendary director Kenji Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu (1953—Oct 27). Set during Japan’s 16th-century civil wars, Mizoguchi’s film weaves striking cinematography with the supernatural in a tale of a man whose desire for wealth leads him into the arms of a phantom princess. In Hiroshi Teshigahara’s Pitfall (1962—Oct 30)—the first feature film from the director of Woman in the Dunes and his first collaboration with screenwriter Kōbō Abe— is an eerie ghost story about alienation and capitalist exploitation. In telling the story of a former miner who stumbles across an abandoned city, Teshigahara emphasizes documentary realism over blood and gore. Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Special Jury Prize and an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language film, Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan (1964—Oct 28) tells four stories of ghostly encounters adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s collection of Japanese folktales. Kaneto Shindô’s Kuroneko (1968—Oct 31), depicts a mother and daughter-in-law who return as murderous feline spirits after being brutally murdered by a band of samurai. Shindô’s Onibaba (1964—Oct 31) tells the story of a vengeful mother and daughter-in-law that survive by robbing samurai who has lost their way until a possessed mask turns the women against each other."

For more details, visit: https://www.bam.org/film/2018/ghosts-and-monsters

---------

Dermot Mulroney Cast in TRICK: "Ellen Wander, CEO of Film Bridge International (Winnie Mandela, Misconduct, Marshall, and Spinning Man) and Gabriela Revilla Lugo of Revek Entertainment (The Tribes of Palos Verdes, The Last Weekend in May, Gone: VR 360) announce the upcoming feature Trick, a horror thriller to be directed by genre master Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine, Drive Angry, Terminator: Genisys) and written by Todd Farmer, alongside Lussier.

The story centers on an elusive serial killer, who descends upon a small town annually, bringing terror and death. He is responsible for gruesome murders year after year, each in different jurisdictions and seemingly unrelated. No one believes this could be the same killer. Detective Denver has faced Trick once before - he shot and killed him. Or so everyone keeps telling him. However, Denver knows Trick is out there and he's coming back for revenge.

"After much discussion with Director Lussier, Dermot was the only choice for this role and we are ecstatic that he was able to take on the project," stated Wander.

Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone, The Wedding Date) plays Detective Mike Denver. Denver puts his works before anything else in life, including his own marriage but his no-nonsense attitude and steadfast approach make him a perfect fit for a career in law enforcement. Against everyone else's judgment, he is convinced that Trick is not only alive and well, but the one responsible for a series of gruesome murders recurring over several years.

Director Patrick Lussier's lengthy and accomplished résumé includes several of the most successful horror films and television programs in recent years. His eye for detail was instrumental in editing the numerous Wes Craven films, including the famous Scream franchise, Red Eye, New Nightmare, and Cursed to name just a few.

Prolific actor Mulroney has starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 3 decades. Most recently, he filmed an episode for the highly anticipated Amazon series "Homecoming" starring Julia Roberts, his co-star in the box office hit My Best Friend's Wedding.

Writer Todd Farmer has worked with Patrick Lussier previously. He has written several genre films including Jason X, My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry (alongside Lussier).

Ellen S. Wander of Film Bridge International will produce and handle worldwide sales for the film. Gabriela Lugo will also serve as producer. Additionally, Film Bridge International has partnered Chimney's Fredrik Zander to handle post-production.

Dermot Mulroney is repped by WME. Patrick Lussier is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency."

---------

All Light Will End Interview: "Actor Ted Welch & Director Chris Blake Discuss the Upcoming Horror Film All Light Will End.

You see it every night in your dreams. You don’t know quite what it is but you sense the evil around it. The object gradually becomes more and more intense until those dreams turn into night terrors and your sense of reality becomes blurred as darkness closes in. What do you do next? You will have to watch Chris Blake’s new horror film All Light Will End to see. When discussing this project and his filmmaking style Blake says, “I’m drawn to stories that feel like a slow burn. I like the tension and paranoia to build gradually - until someone hits the accelerator in the third act and all the intricate details go off like a grenade that leaves the audience picking up the pieces during the ending credits. And, I hope that’s what we did with All Light Will End.” Between Blake’s fresh approach to storytelling and a plethora of familiar faces including Andy Buckley (Jurassic World), Sarah Butler (I Spit on Your Grave), Sam Jones III (Smallville) and Ted Welch (whom True Blood fans know as Joe Bob) gracing All Light Will End, the flick is definitely worth checking out. In the below exclusive interview actor Ted Welch and writer-director Chris Blake discuss the creative process behind All Light Will End.

Ted Welch

Can you tell us about your character in All Light Will End?

Jack is Savannah's boyfriend and he's trying to be her emotional rock. She has gone through a lot and he just tries to support her at every turn whether that be going to her brother's graduation or support her writing. Let’s be honest, he has shot out of his league with Savannah!

What was the most challenging scene for you to shoot in All Light Will End?

I have to be honest this was the one of the best run sets I have ever been on. Chris Blake knows what he wants and he really trusts the actors which is wonderful. If I HAD to pick the most difficult scene I think I would say the axe scene. I won't say anymore because I don't want to give anything away but it was a difficult scene to hit just right. You have to rent the movie to find out what I am talking about!

You have starred in a lot of shows/films in the comedy genre. What was one of the biggest differences?

I don't see a huge difference in the two. I mean acting is acting to me. There is humor in good horror I think and in this, we have comedic moments. The one difference is really just that on a comedy when you get the scene in two good takes the directors usually give you an extra and lets you improv a bit. Chris Blake did that in this process when the scenes were lighter. He is very collaborative so he is open to that when it's called for.

You played Joe Bob on True Blood. Do you have any fun behind the scenes stories about your time on the show?

Ha! I have two. Stephen Moyer directed me in two of my episodes and one day Sam had to shift into a cobra to scare me during an interrogation. Stephen just very calmly came to me and said, "Hey Ted I need you to sign this really quick. It's a waiver saying you are good in case we have problems with the animal. Nothing will happen but it is a cobra." I was scared shitless. Nothing big happened but me seeing the dummy of me getting struck by the Cobra was intense.
The second would be at a read through for the first episode I did. Robert Patrick from Terminator 2 was in that episode and after the read through he came up to me and one of the other guys after and says "You guys were great. Awesome read." Twelve-year-old me had a real star stuck moment and I froze and could barely say thank you. He's the T-1000 after all!

There has been some talks of a True Blood musical. What are your feelings on that?

I hope Joe Bob has a solo number from jail and then a reprise with Jason Stackhouse where we sing about our high school football days.

Chris Blake

You both wrote and directed All Light Will End. How did this film come about?

I had written a script and was attached to direct as well, but when we went out to find funding for that script -- I just had a moment where I felt like we were going to make the wrong movie. So I called my producing partner and said I needed to rewrite the script. It’s all wrong. Naturally, he was pissed, but I sat down and rewrote the script – and that became All Light Will End – once I sent the new script to everyone, there was kind of like this sigh of relief and an echoing of ‘yeah, okay, this feels right. This is what we should be making.’

For horror fans out there, what other horror films would you say All Light Will End resembles? Did you have any inspirations for this film?

It’s hard to narrow it down. We drew inspirations from a lot of different films, and I think it’s apparent once you see the movie—but some of the touchstones that influenced me personally were The Shining, Knife In The Water, and of course I’m always inspired by - and aspire to - early Spielberg. I’m drawn to stories that feel like a slow burn. I like the tension and paranoia to build gradually - until someone hits the accelerator in the third act and all the intricate details go off like a grenade that leaves the audience picking up the pieces during the ending credits. And, I hope that’s what we did with All Light Will End.

We read that themes of light and shadow are woven throughout the film in numerous ways. Can you elaborate on this? Was this done on purpose?

Yeah, absolutely. The idea was to use the light and shadows to illustrate the internal struggles the characters were dealing with in the film. We also played with the darkness and shadows in the cinematography. We wanted to say things about the characters -- and what was happening from scene to scene -- as the story progressed, but we wanted to do it in a way that made the audience feel like the story and characters were going one direction -- so we could take it another way.

Films evolve through the creative process – sometimes most dramatically in the editing process. Did anything dramatically change from the beginning to the end of this project?

Oh of course! The story changed many times within the edit – at one point I had to go back and read the script over again so I could remember where we had started – and I always find that encouraging. I know some filmmakers would frown on that, and I’m not saying it should be that way with every film, but for us – for this film – we kept finding a better way to tell the story and different ways to deliver the message.

Great question. I can only speak for myself, but I’ve always found the unknown to be the most frightening thing in which to come face to face. In that situation – my imagination torments me with the most haunting possibilities. Of course, there are horrific realities in the world, but my mind has conjured some disturbing nightmares as well – especially if I’m face to face with something unknown and my imagination is allowed to roam free.

Do you have a favorite horror film?

Oh man, that’s a tortuous task, and I’m not sure I can narrow it down to just one! How about my current top 5? – In no particular order -- I love Polanski’s Knife In The Water (1962) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), JAWS (1975), Poltergeist (1982), and Jacob’s Ladder (1990). And if I had to throw in something a little more recent as a bonus, I’d have to go with Let The Right One In (2008).

All Light Will End is being released November 2nd by Gravitas Ventures. Pre-order it here https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/all-light-will-end/id1435972559