Thrills, chills and laugh out ridiculum are the watchwords for this episode of BEHIND THE LENS thanks to filmmakers RON CARLSON, DORON PAZ and LEE CRONIN.
First up, take a listen to an excerpt of our prerecorded exclusive interview with writer/director LEE CRONIN as he talks about the genesis of the story and visual conceptualization of THE HOLE IN THE GROUND. (Would you believe it came from a newspaper article about a Florida man sitting in his house who was swallowed up by a sinkhole?) A refreshing take on the psychological horror genre, with THE HOLE IN THE GROUND, Lee subverts genre tropes and delivers a nail-biting, often seat-jumping, jaunt into a story that mines the relationship of self-doubt, ultimately leading to revelations about the truth of oneself and strength of character.
Things then get much lighter when writer/director RON CARLSON joins us live talking about his new film, the hilarious B-movie camp-filled hit DEAD ANT. A one-hit wonder heavy metal band, the California desert and oversized ants. . .what’s not to love! From casting of folks like Jake Busey who tackles the role of a lead singer in a hair metal has-been band, to Tom Arnold (sheer perfection as the band’s manager), to the logistic challenges of shooting in the California desert during December with limited daylight and limited budget, to 700 CGI effects, Ron covers it all. And let’s not overlook the amount of laughter we share in this conversation!
Then we get serious with director DORON PAZ, who is live from Israel, talking about his latest film, THE GOLEM. A perfect blend of Jewish folklore and mysticism with the godlike themes of “Frankenstein”, set in 17th Century Lithuania, THE GOLEM is both fascinating and terrifying, melding for a perfect thriller. Going deep into the Judaic culture with research into “the Golem”, Doron talks about the development process, creating a story that originates with one culture but has universal appeal, travelling to the Ukraine to shoot the film, creating a defined and beautiful cinematographic palette, and of course, a culturally resonant and beautiful score.
