Vegas Outsider: First off, how did this project come to your attention? Moreover, at what point did you decide you wanted to act in it as well as produce it?
Larry Fessenden: Well, we were hired by a company called MPI/Dark Sky Media to make movies at a low budget so our concept was to start with something very small in budget, and then we would have a larger project and then a third project at a medium budge. I was trying to figure out who the heck could make a movie at this low budget level and I thought of Joe Maggio, whom I knew from the festival circuit. I had met him in about 2001 when he was touring with a film called Virtual Bliss; now the only thing about this was Joe didn’t make horror movies, he made indie dramas.
Our slate was supposed to be horror but still I went to Joe and said “Listen man, I know you can make movies really cheaply with your aesthetic of hand-held camera and focus on character work. Have you ever thought about making a horror picture?” He pitched me this idea about a chef who kidnaps his critic and it seemed like a classic horror setup with an element of what is now called ‘torture porn’ in it, in the sense that somebody had control over someone else. So my two other producers and I, Peter Phok and Brent Kunkle, worked on the script; Joe was very responsive to our notes and was great to work with so we then got the script to a place where we thought we should shoot it. And as for acting, Joe just invited me to play the detective and I don’t recall resisting (laughs).
VO: As I mentioned you are a producer on this film through your company Glass Eye Pix, and I’m wondering how this particular film fits in with the kinds of projects you wish to produce under your banner?
LF: Well a couple of things, one is the absolute resourcefulness with which we made it and that’s something that we hold dear; the idea that you can still make films cheaply and well if you have a dedicated crew. Another element I think is something that is a little more thoughtful, that might come from left field; we always enjoy working with genre tropes as well as some of the clichés and setups of the horror genre but we like to have it come from a personal place, from the auteurship of the director. Joe is certainly interested in character development and the final thing that interests me is some sort of comment or revelation on our current world. I myself make environmentally-themed scary movies and in the case of Joe’s film, I think it’s an interesting commentary on the relationship between the creator and the critic, so I like that the film had some sort of viewpoint as well.
VO: As someone who’s worked as an actor, producer, and director, what is your particular take on critics today, particular bloggers who many seem to enjoy being Iron Sheik-like characters as Joshua describes himself in the film?
LF: I’m glad that speaks to people; I have to say that I think the role of the critic is very important because historically the critic has been able to tell the masses and give them insight about any new kind of filmmaking by reviewing what is maybe at first strange then later becomes appealing. So the critic is really a field guide to new work; now that is a very classical interpretation of what a film critic is but I would like to remind them that that is where it begins.
They also have an obligation to enlighten their readers; what I would argue of course is that in major blogging anyone can write anything and there just seems to be a tendency towards what we call ‘snarkyness. I think then it becomes irresponsible and not entirely appreciating how hard it is to make something (laughs). It’s easier to destroy something than to make it. So I would only wish that there was more respect, but again film criticism can be a real art form so this is not a universal statement just a caution that I hope people are taking their job seriously and having some self-respect.
VO: Could you briefly discuss your character in the film, William Coley, and how you approached your portrayal as he’s a guy that you end up thinking about more and more after you’ve seen the film.
LF: Well it’s funny, I’m out here in LA acting in another film and thinking “what is my process?” I don’t have a method per se but I do try to settle into physical mannerisms and understand intuitively what’s going on with a character. I think it’s a series of short steps; Joe wanted these goofy short pants which gave the whole character a gait, a way of walking. So it’s a combination of the director, what the writer’s written, and I always remember Ben Kingsley once said “Acting is really just learning your lines”.
I think that while it’s a little arrogant, because there is quite a bit more going on, once you have the lines and then the mannerisms and then choose the mustache or whatever you look in the mirror and suddenly start to feel like that guy (laughs). I don’t know why we came up with the straw, I don’t remember if that was my idea but you start to stick with some things and they allow you to live in those shoes so to speak. It’s a very magical process, one that I really don’t feel I have a lot of control over so it’s fun to hear that it has some sort of resonance. And I was really happy to work with James Le Gros, whom I’ve known before from directing him and we always laughed about working together sometime so most of my scenes are with him, which was a bit of fun.
VO: Finally, has there been any word on the film’s formal release? Anything else you have in production right now you’d like to give readers a head’s up on?
LF: Well the release is still being decided right now, we’re all convinced that a small theatrical run would really be a great way to get it out to audiences. I know that as we watched it with an audience there was a real camaraderie there as people liked to laugh at the persnickety manner of Peter Gray and I think there’s a kind of devilish fun to be had in a group setting. There are also a few theaters in the country that serve food at the same time as the screening, so I think it’d be fun to make a run of it and get some national play. And then also with small films today you have VOD which is a great way to get the movie out to those folks that don’t have indie theaters in their town. So we’re just working out the timing right now; we’re going to play a few more festivals too, we’re looking forward to the Woodstock festival on the East Coast and a few others like that but we’ll know more soon.
Production-wise, we’re very excited about the other two movies on the slate right now; there’s one called Stake Land, by the filmmaker Jim Mickle, that should be surfacing soon as we’re going to start mixing in August, and then there’s Hypothermia which we’re still editing right now. There’s another film called The Innkeepers, which we also made this year and wrapping up for around Christmas. And then I’m directing a film in the fall, so there’s a lot going on. We’re also going to do some webisodes for Bitter Feast, which will be another fun way to enjoy that world. I have a radio show I’ll be doing too which will be absolutely spectacular; I’m so excited to be doing it. We’re bringing in a lot of the filmmakers we’ve enjoyed working with before and will be doing an audio play for the show, which is called Tales From Beyond The Pale. We’re hoping by Halloween to have that available on iTunes and that’ll be another great way to enjoy some storytelling.
*To learn more about the film and check for updates, go to www.bitterfeastthefilm.com
Vegas Outsider 