Film Name: The Cellar
Director: Jamie Langlands
Writer(s): Jamie Langlands (writer), Obie Dean (Script consultant), Charlotte Marshall (additional material), Teresa Taylor (Script consultant)
Starring: Meghan Adara, Neil James, Charlotte Marshall, Mickaela Sands, Obie Dean
A young girl wakes up imprisoned underground, with amnesia. She must escape, unravel the mystery behind her captivity, and confront her personal struggles. A suspenseful tale of survival, truth, and inner turmoil unfolds.
In a new interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Co-Writer-Director Jamie Langlands a few questions about his film ‘The Cellar.
The Cellar will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January 10:00am
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we
can expect?
A. A lot of tension and atmosphere for starters. It’s a story of survival where the viewer really will need to draw their own conclusions in many ways. Many people have said to me that it’s a film that needs to be watched twice to fully understand what’s going on as there is a lot of mystery and ambiguity to this film. In this film the viewer will take on a journey with the lead character and just like the lead character (Abigail) the viewer will need to work out the mystery and darkness that surrounds her
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script?
A. Resident Evil, Jacob’s Ladder and Eyes Wide Shut are a few influences for the creation of this film.
Q. You had several writers contribute to the script with you in various capacities. What was your process for working with them on the script?
A. There’s a scene in the film that is an AA meeting. Although I did a lot of research around AA, one of the actors in the film is an alcoholic so he has a lot more life experience than I do in that area. So I worked with him on that scene and used him as some inspiration and conversed with him on the process of AA meetings, and together we wrote that scene.
There’s also a scene in the film where the lead character is speaking with a 999 call handler and a switchboard operator. My sister works as a 999 call handler so it was the obvious choice to ask her what the process was regarding 999 calls and what would be said in that situation. So I simply asked her and she told me the likely dialogue.
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. The first Resident Evil game on the PlayStation was a big influence simply because playing that game probably scared me more than any film I’ve watched (apart from the original Exorcist film of course). And I really wanted the viewer to follow and almost feel like they are the lead character like in a video game and fell like they are taking this journey..
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. The script I wrote as the film was still in production. I’d write some scenes and get them shot and then write more based mainly on the locations so it really was a work in progress and I just let the film take its own course rather than write a script and follow it. So it really was an unconventional way of making a film (If there is a conventional way that is)
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. my favourite moment was the final day of shooting. It was a summers evening in a corn field and we shot until the sunset and it felt like a magical moment as we wrapped the film to a sun set.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. Not as many as I thought I would. It was mainly working around everyone’s availability and all the prep work that needs to go into making a film. I guess the main issue was trying to find a church or church hall to film in because of the content of the film and the religious elements.
Q. What makes stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I’d say it has quite a few sub genres so I wouldn’t put it as a conventional horror film. It touches on sci-fi, religion, cults, paranormal, demonology, addiction and mental health so there’s quite a lot going on. Although it can be compared to other films out there I think there’s a lot of new ideas that are being touched on in this.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope it messes with people’s minds a little and I certainly hope it will stick with people. Hopefully people will watch this and will still be trying to work out what exactly went on weeks or even months later and create their own stories of what happened to Abigail.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I’m half way through production of a slasher film I’m directing/Producing. We’re running low on budget so we have an IndieGoGo to get funds to make sure we can finish the film. It’s a far greater challenge than making ‘The Cellar’ that requires a far greater budget Here’s a brief synopsis; A serial killer with a dental condition targets teenagers in a wealthy town. A detective tries to identify and understand the murderer’s motives. A young man confronts his past to stop the grisly killings.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-r-i-p-man
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. I’d say make the most of the resources you have around you. Write with the budget in mind and stick to a strict deadline
The Cellar will play at Horror-on-Sea on Saturday 18th January 10:00am
You can find out more about the festival and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!
