IFC Midnight recently released one of the more unforgettable foreign horror films of the year, Baskin, a nightmarish shocker that follows a group of Turkish police officers who encounter a hellish cult with some gruesomely abhorrent plans for the unsuspecting lawkeepers.
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to ask Baskin co-writer/director Can Evrenol about the project. Here’s what he had to say about the inspirations behind the story and much more:
What inspired the story of Baskin?
Can Evrenol: Dreams and whispers from the beyond.
Your approach to this film is grotesquely beautiful and I loved the use of color in many of the scenes (the red/blue imagery was very striking)—can you discuss your approach to the look of Baskin?
Can Evrenol: Thank you. I am mesmerized by the visual style of such masters as Fulci, Argento, Kubrick, P.T. Anderson, Spielberg, Ozu, Haneke, and Zemeckis.
For Baskin's color scheme, my director of photography, Alp Korfali, and I went over some visually favorite films of mine from recent years, like Only God Forgives, I Saw the Devil, Amer, and even Ninja Scroll. In the future, I want to make my films feel like Argento and Ninja Scroll as much as possible.
I enjoyed how things start off typically with these cops, but then everything ends in a very atypical way, and Arda [Gorkem Kasal] becomes the catalyst of this story. Can you talk about how you viewed his character and how he fits into this world?
Can Evrenol: Stephen King's psychic theme [from The Shining] has been a big influence on me. Arda is like Danny [Torrance], Boss Remzi is like [Dick] Halloran, and the building and The Father are like the Overlook Hotel.
Clearly there are some moments that push boundaries in Baskin, and yet they all fit the ritualism of the story. How did you ensure that the shocking, gory moments served the story and didn’t just feel like they were there to push viewers’ buttons?
Can Evrenol: It's obviously a very difficult decision to make and you can never be black and white about the level of gore or extremity. So I just went with my gut feeling and challenged myself.
Since this is your first feature, how challenging was it to get Baskin made? There’s so much ambition on-screen here that I commend you for creating a wholly unique and unsettling experience.
Can Evrenol: You're too kind. Whenever something is set to be unique and unsettling, it has to be challenging to get it made. But it's totally worth it at the end.
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
