Newcomer Bryan Bertino understands that if you want to strike an unnerving chord with your audience, you have to hit 'em where they live. A drive-by cinematic assault not with an M-16, but a
goddamn rocket launcher. And that's why, for his feature debut, Bertino eschewed a showy, FX-heavy horrifying spectacle of a narrative for a more deliberate, contained affair entitled
The Strangers which examines -
sans any
CSI-esque procedural trappings - one couple's late-night encounter at 1801 Clark Road with three masked loonies.
In the last year, Rogue Pictures' delay of
The Strangers - starring Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman as Kristen and James, respectively - has perhaps incited more curiosity in the film than any detraction. Message board users and bloggers tapping into the film's marketing campaign which touts it is "based on true events." But what macabre case did Bertino lift from? In our second interview with the writer-director, some truths are revealed as we catch Bertino on the phone two weeks out from his film's summer debut.
You can find our initial chat with him in our piece entitled
Never Talk to Strangers.
ShockTillYouDrop.com: The last time we spoke, you voiced a rabid affinity for Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre - I'd love to hear more on why you connect with that film so much...
Bryan Bertino: I'm from Texas, for one, and when it starts out and they're driving in that van and everyone's sweaty, I remember being a kid driving around Texas in a van with no air conditioning. Off the top, I remember being drawn into that film, but as I got older, I've watched it several times and I think what inspires me now about that movie is the use of sound, the use of really stark images. Stark music. The way that so little is used to manipulate. It so overpowers me. As a horror director, the scene I reference is when they're walking up to the house and that generator is introduced and we're not listening to any horror film score that tells us, Oh no, this is the house we should be frightened of and something bad is going to happen. It's just that generator rumbling. You go into the house and everything is so still and then bam, Leatherface appears. That sums up everything that I feel is great in horror. It's a low budget movie but I think horror sometimes belongs in the low budget. The movie just inspired me that way.
Shock: What struck me about your film is not just the score by Tomandandy but some of the country pieces, too. Can you talk about what went into the selection?
Bertino: I knew early on when I made my pitch to direct the film...I brought in my computer and laid out ten or twelve songs that were just playing in the background. I was inspired by country music and folk music and, to me, I wanted to do a film that had those elements in it. When I wrote the script, I was thinking about it not having a score at all. I loved the idea of a record player playing this music that every time James and Kristin hear it, at times, we hear that. When Mama Tribe is blasting in the house, it's like I wanted it to feel that way for everybody. I definitely tried to work with the budget that we had - as far as post-production budget - to say, I want to put these songs in it. The people that inspired me are Gillian Welch, Merle Haggard - these are people that, when I was writing the script, I was listening to, so I felt like it grounded it for me.
Shock: What's spinning in your iPod now?
Bertino: Strangely enough, not country music. I keep going back to Radiohead because I'm really into the new album. On HDNet I saw a live performance and their entire album reminded me of how much I really love that band. So, I listen to them, but a lot of Gillian Welch. She's probably one of my favorites. Bob Dylan is one I go back to. I've been listening to a lot of
Desire these days.
Shock: What prompted your decision to get into filmmaking?
Bertino: I studied cinematography in college. At the University of Texas you're limited and only the people with money can direct, you have to pay for the film. Back in college I never got the chance to "learn" to direct because I didn't have the money. Being a cinematographer taught me how to tell stories visually and when I moved out here I started writing because I wasn't being given a chance to tell stories anymore. I wasn't one of those kids who was making movies on super-8mm, but I knew that I always loved movies more than anybody else I was hanging out with in Texas. I reacted very strongly to what films can do, but my influences...I think John Cassavetes and Terrence Malick have more to do with what has inspired me over the last couple of years. Raymond Carver, his short stories paint more pictures in my head than say any one horror film to direct or anyone associated with that. As I've gotten older, my tastes expanded. I've always been interested in '70s genre, because it's a great opportunity to see real character development in high concept stories.
Shock: All of that comes across in The Strangers, very much so in the pacing.
Bertino: When I started cutting the film, we said to my editor Kevin Greutert - who has done all of the
Saw films - 'Look, man, I don't want to do a lot of quick cuts and I don't want to do a lot of flashy stuff.' I didn't want it to be overtly '70s, but I wanted it to feel like it could've been made in 1976.
Shock: In a situation like what James and Kristen face, what would you do?
Bertino: [laughs] It's funny, I hear a lot of strangers stories now. But, what's weird is I'm the guy that leaves the lights on to go to bed because I think I spend so much time thinking about the darkness of man that I don't trust anyone anymore, let's just say that. I leave the lights on everywhere. When you turn the lights off, that's when the killer outside says, 'Okay, it's time to go to work.' So, you've got to leave those lights on.
Shock: This film is being heavily sold as being "Based on a True Story" and many of Shock's readers have been hypothesizing which case you're taking your inspiration from. Have you been following this and, if so, what's the wildest theory you've read?
Bertino: The one that blows me away, is that someone has created a link that's like a Google map of every single 1801 Clark Road in the United States with a description of why that could be or couldn't be the place it happened. The amount of work...I was impressed with. To lay it all out there. I don't think the [webmaster] ever presented which one he thought it was, but he was building an argument that I was very impressed with.
Shock: And what ultimately is this based on? I recall you saying at one time that you cobbled together various events, right?
Bertino: Yeah, that's the thing. To me, what it ended up being is that I wanted to tell the story of the victims. When I was a kid, I read
Helter Skelter. I went off to this small town to stay with my grandmother and my dad - I have no idea why - said, 'Hey, do you want to read a book while you're gone?' And he gives me
Helter Skelter which is definitely big boy reading. Even now, what grabs me, even now, is that it's not the section about who Charles Manson or what was going on with the family. I was thinking about the Tate murders and realizing that these detailed descriptions had painted a story of what it was like in the house with the victims. But none of the victims knew about the Manson family or why it was happening to them. So, I got really fascinated with telling the victims' tale. And not filling it in with an FBI profile and not filling it in with finding out that somebody's grandmother beat them and now they want to kill everybody. You read obituaries every day where someone is killed for a random reason. Yes, we may eventually find out why, but sometimes they don't. With 1801 Clark Road, people can look at that and say, 'Where is that address?' But the reality of it is, that's the address I grew up in. I just picked that address because I wanted to ground the film in as much reality as possible. As a writer, there wasn't anything I wanted James to do that I felt that I could do. There was no amount of bravery. I tried to do a gut check. When we made the movie, Scott tried to do a gut check. Just how brave would I be? I didn't want this movie to be about what would you wish you would do as much as what would you do?
Shock: Where do you stand on the horror genre in the last fifteen years?
Bertino: I think this is an exciting time. Horror moves in waves but I think there are great waves where new things come around and art is able to grab us and bring us back to that primal fear we all have. I think horror is about to find its new wave. Yes, I think people get tired of the stuff out there, but the thing I love about horror is that everybody wants to get scared. For me, the stories I tell are very much basic characters, characters and drama that people can relate to. I would love nothing more than to have drama horror be the new wave. I will say, as far as films in the last fifteen years that I like. I'm one of the people who loved
The Blair Witch Project. I don't care that the camera is shaky and Heather says f**k a lot. I felt like I was totally brought in that world. I really liked
The Descent, I thought Neil Marshall did a great job. I jumped during that movie and I don't jump all of the time.
Shock: A fanboy question for you...which "Stranger" is your favorite out of the three?
Bertino: Man, let me think... I like the man in the mask because I always loved the simplicity of it. I think my favorite is Pin-Up Girl, there's something just creepy about when the shadows hit those eyes and the circles around them are completely black.
The Strangers opens in theaters on May 30th. For Bertino's thoughts a possible sequel, check out
this news item.
Comments
Posted by: Your Main Dude on May 26, 2008 at 03:09:12
awesome interview! he seems like a very cool guy, cant wait for this movie!!
Posted by: brandon_fear on May 26, 2008 at 16:00:20
great interview. this guy seems to really have a passion for making horror "really scary." It's really exciting to hear that.
I hope this movie is a fresh of breath air for the new horror movies out...that are not so great.
BTW, I agree with Bertino. I'm one of those guys who LOVED Descent and The Blair Witch Project.
I dare anyone who lives in the south (like me)...who lives nears a rural, forestry or mountain to watch Blair Witch at night with all your lights off.
Posted by: TDF on May 26, 2008 at 20:18:42
I am more interested in this movie now. I hate horror flicks that have the "brave" guy or girl. give me a break, majority of everyone in the world would wet or crap themselves in almost every instense situation we have seen in horror flicks. Would you stand tall and strong to leather face? Yeah right, more like "please make it fast!!"
Posted by: J. Warner on May 26, 2008 at 23:45:32
I wish Bryan had a MySpace or Facebook account as I'd love to pick his brain about a few business-related subjects.
Posted by: ShoeGal25 on May 28, 2008 at 16:06:03
I love scary / horror movies more than anyone but how the hell can you say "Based on a true story" when it's not. WTF?!?!?!?!?
Posted by: A stranger... on May 29, 2008 at 02:16:29
umm shoegal...it said "Based on true events"
According to Bertino, it is based on many different, 'events'
anyway...this movie looks great and I like how the good guys dont randomly win some how. In most scary movies, the bad guy dies or gets caught or it ends without an end really and the good guy gets away. Hardly, or either the movie usually sucks, where the victims actually die. Except the Texas Chainsaw Massacre...scary and good! Hopefully this will be just as good of a movie
Posted by: knowWhatToDo on May 30, 2008 at 02:29:51
Self preservation is a big motivator in reality, period. My home was the scene of a home invasion, the invader was gutsy, but in the end a coward. 3am, tv on, I was on the computer, dishwasher running loudly, two dogs and a husband sleeping. Then I hear footsteps, at first thought it was hubby, called out to him no answer. I jumped up ran to bedroom and sure enough hubby was in bed. I yelled to him to get the F'n gun, which unfortunately was in the safe. He was too slow so I charged, all 61 inches of me, towards the backdoor where the intruder made entry. The coward ran, maybe I scared him (laugh). But I can honestly say what I would do in that sort of situation. Fight with a fury to live, armed or not. Since then I am always on gaurd and so should all of you be. We also live in a very nice area, where home invasions were unheard of, until that night. In the end the intruder won, for peace of mind will never be mine. However I learned that I am just as f'n scary when threatened as the wanna be threatener. To conclude, it really bothers me when people say, "Oh, you can never say what you would do in a situation like ...." I always knew what I would do and I backed it up and I will again if confronted. Hopefully, lightning won't strike twice her, but if it does, you should feel sorry for the intruder. Sorry for the novel. (not really)
Posted by: horror guru on May 31, 2008 at 15:40:41
Loved the movie and came across the website with all the different addresses all over the U.S. Awesome dedication. I couldn't wait to come home and find out more about the case.... I would imagine horrific things have happened possibly like this and maybe there is no way to get the "real" details... hell, how can you get the details if the good guys do die. All i can say is that i really need to consider owning a gun after this movie... not to protect myself... but to get it over quick! Much rather do it myself than be sliced and diced at someone else's leasure!
Posted by: ariel on June 6, 2008 at 11:46:20
the strangers was a really great movie i wonder if there's going to be part 2
Posted by: MARK11 on June 8, 2008 at 14:16:21
Wish he'd talk more about his storybording, if any. Shotlists...camera model, etc.
As a writer-director myself, working in low, low, low budget, digital movies making...the
tech stuff is getting better and better to take an under - million dollar budget and make it look like a 10 million dollar film budget.
There has to be a way -- even if it's post prod heavy --to get the exact look Bryan has on THE STRANGERS...but with digital based equipment.
That's what I'm working on now.
Please...more interviews about cost cutting techniques.
Thanks.
MARK11
Posted by: lesboslovehorror on June 10, 2008 at 15:03:52
I really liked this movie. It was a thriller, a shocker, and it actually scared me. I had to leave and pee because it scared me so much at one point. Scary movies never scare me or my girlfriend, but we were shakin. I was really looking forward to finding out about the actual murders and am a bit dissapointed now that i know it's not based on an actual murder. It doesn't change my thoughts about the movie though. I just didn't really like the ending of the movie.
Posted by: Lexi on October 13, 2008 at 11:39:37
i was jus skimming through the interview jus cuz i was bored.. anyways the movie looks really good.. but anyways wen i was skimming i was scrolling down kinda fast and wen the mask came on the screen it scared the **** out of me.. ha i jumped
Posted by: chris on October 22, 2008 at 22:52:24
One The only thing I want to know is if what I read about the true events being a string of break-ins around the area where the director grew up But noone died during the break-ins. I just watched this ovie and was very dissapointed with it. I think it was the worst movieI have ever seen. Someone needs to come up with a movie that is good. There has not been many. And to Brandon_fear. I live in North Carolina and I spend a lot of time in the woods and the Blair Witch Project sucked. We need a good movie to come out. The last movie that really scared me was the Exorcist And I was 12. Ya know what I want something like that to happen to me. Stranger come in my house. Dare tehm What I will say is they would not stand a chance I dont run and hide they would have their hands full. They may kill me but its gonna take more than an axe. In closing I hated this movie.
Posted by: winton on October 25, 2008 at 20:03:12
wiy did you called it the stanges
Posted by: Kevin on December 11, 2008 at 01:19:44
I like Bryan, and I loved his movie. I could listen to him talk about his passion for films forever. You know he means it and enjoys it.
Posted by: B. Johnson on December 27, 2008 at 16:55:00
The movie "Strangers" realy sucks... no story, no movie...
Better luck next time Bertolli
Posted by: ZOMBIE4PETA on December 27, 2008 at 22:19:14
I just don't understand all the love for "The Strangers"??? This had to have been one of the most predictable and boring movies I saw all year. Oh well! I guess we will see a sequel since so many swoon over this type of movie. I just don't get it. Or maybe my standards may be Different. I hope if they do have a sequel its alittle more believable and the guy in it isn't such a P&*sy. I don't blame tyhe girl character in it for not wanting to marry a girly man. Learn to load a shotgun!
what?
Posted by: kayley on January 1, 2009 at 14:13:39
this movie sucked butt
idontevenget it
Posted by: Bob Mister on January 24, 2009 at 13:55:53
I hate the film cos it freaks me out but yet i can not stop reading about it.
Posted by: Mindy on February 13, 2009 at 02:26:44
I would like to say that this movie is a flaming bag of crap. I've seen scarier items on my bathroom floor. This director/writer needs to be a victim in his next "so called" film. I want the 2 hours of my life back! I will never ever watch another Bryan Bertino film (if anyone dares produce such a sad excuse for art). By the way, your debut ha! it sucked! I'm beggin you PLEASE don't make anymore films!! As for the but kissing going on in this blog, OBVIOUSLY none of these FOOLS have seen this peice of crap - it's lower than a whale turd.
Posted by: ydouneed2know??? on March 12, 2009 at 16:54:42
OMG! I was a lil nervous to watch this movie cuz i am the type of girl who watches horror films all the time and doesn't get scared until the movie is over. Just like Bryan said I still like lights on no matter where I go! After I watched the movie I didn't know wht I was so scared about it was not nearly as scary as I thougt. One huge question I have is wht happens after those two kids find the bodies? And wht the **** with the ending where she like wakes up? Is she dead or not make up your ****ing minds! I can't believe it just stopped there. This was a normal scary movie, I mean the people are retarted through the entire thing! I mean come on you shoot your friend and yes that would be devistating but come on dont leave the closet! Just keep the gun in your hand and just shoot at everything! That is at least what I would do. It is not the best idea but I deffinitly would not be the one to run out to the barn when all of the strangers are watching your every movement. But I guess I wouldn't be the one to run after my "Boy friend"! That makes me think of something else. They showed the one flashback which helped a bit but I am still confussed. So um what is James and Kristins relationship in the film. Are they still like together or are they going to get married or wht??? I am so confussed! I am so completly wondering if there will be a strangers 2! If anyone can answer that one ****ing question? I would deffinitly watch it. If they do will that chick still be in it?(If she lived) Will anyone out there please help me with this question I am SO clue less! Well for all of those phyco *****es out there reading this ha! They made a movie on you disturbing little heads! Nah im joking! This movie is like a 7 out of 10. I like it but it was a little stupid at points. I mean wht happens, do those people really go kill a bunch of other people and by the amount of screams after James and Kristin got stabs I don't even know how she would even be questionalbly alive! Well if anyone out there has the time to answer me, please, please, please do! PEACE!
Posted by: ydouneed2know??? on March 12, 2009 at 16:59:49
ps mindy peice isnt spelt like that hunny!
Posted by: big K on August 19, 2009 at 11:29:24
This movie was real good. I actually forgot Liv was Steven's daughter during this movie, which is hard to do.
For the people writing about needing more of a story and a good movie, go watch Freddy or Jason. They obviously do not get this movie or movies like it. As the director explained, this is from the victims veiw. They don't know what the story is or why this is happening and aren't supposed to. That makes it scarier. Of course everyone wouldn't do what the people in the movies do and they second guess when they alway's go to investigate, but if they didn't the movie would be over or get real boring. Movies like the Blair Witch, where you don't see the bad guy and the bad guy really doesn't say anything, are what makes the scariest movies. Isolation and desperation are key. So is not knowing who the killers are or what they look like and seeing very little of them.
I'm usually never scared of any movies. This one had me on the edge of my seat a bit though. Loved the way the suspense builds. This movie was a breath of fresh air. Wish there were more like it. Good job Bryan!
"30 days of night" was another good one.
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