Director VAUGHN STEIN opens up the cinematic doors as we explore his new thriller CELLAR DOOR in this exclusive interview.
SYNOPSIS: Looking for a fresh start after a miscarriage, a couple (Brewster and Speedman) find themselves being gifted the house of their dreams from a wealthy homeowner (Fishburne) with one caveat – they can never open the cellar door. Whether they can live without knowing triggers shocking consequences.
Directed by VAUGHN STEIN with script by Sam Scott and Lori Evans Taylor, CELLAR DOOR stars Jordana Brewster, Scott Speedman, and Laurence Fishburne.
As comes as no surprise, VAUGHN STEIN once again keeps us on tenterhooks, building tension with a marriage of strong performances and visual storytelling. Attracted to “dark, elegant simplicity” in scripts, the big appeal for Vaughn with CELLAR DOOR was the central premise of a Faustian bargain. During this exclusive interview, Vaughn dives into the character dynamics, particularly John’s obsession with the cellar and its impact on his life, as well as the metaphorical use of color, and the importance of the house as a character. Working closely with his cinematographer Michael Merriman, the visual grammar is key to the tension as is the editing and score, not to mention a fear-fueled performance by Scott Speedman.
Digging deeper into what’s behind the cinematic door, Vaughn talks about, among others:
- exploring how the characters, this couple who have suffered a miscarriage, would react to being seduced by the reclusive millionaire’s offer of a free house, with the one condition – that they cannot access the cellar. Vaughn wanted to examine the spectrum of how people would respond to such a bargain – some able to accept it and move on, while others like John become obsessed and paranoid, unable to let go of the need to know what’s behind the cellar door
- character development and themes
- location; finding “the” house; the house as a character
- key visual metaphors and production design choices used to convey the film’s themes; the cellar door itself as a physical metaphor for the characters’ hidden secrets and desires; framing techniques, such as using existing frames like doorways and windows, to create a sense of claustrophobia and entrapment, especially for the character of John; contrast in the visual treatment of the house, where it feels like a warm, welcoming home for Sarah but a gilded cage for the increasingly paranoid John
- production designer’s careful selection of color palettes and details to imbue the house with a sense of Gothic grandeur and wildness, reflecting the film’s dark, elegant tone
- working with editor Alex Marquez; the challenge of the edit as being more of an “agony of choice” due to the strong performances and beautiful cinematography; maintaining a fluid pacing that didn’t feel rushed and maintained a gnawing sense of dread and unsettling tension; crafting a “lean, mean, dark fairy tale pacing”, aiming for a tight 90-minute runtime
- working with composer Marlon Espino with a score that when combined with the editing helped to create a feeling of genuinely not knowing what’s around the corner or where the next twist will come
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 10/22/2024
CELLAR DOOR is in select theatres and available on digital and VOD on November 1, 2024.
