Film Name: Dorothea
Director: Chad Ferrin
Writer: Chad Ferrin
Starring: Susan Priver, Pat McNeely, Ezra Buzzington, Robert Rhine, Ginger Lynn
She lures the vulnerable, kills without remorse, and buries secrets in her garden. You’ll never trust a kindly old granny again!
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got a chance to ask Writer-Director Chad Ferrin a few questions about his film ‘Dorothea‘, which will have its UK Premiere at Horror-on-Sea on Friday, 23rd January at 12:30hrs.
Q. Your film Dorothea has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. True crime, neo-noir with a splash of Goodfellas (1990).
Q. What were your inspirations when writing the script?
A. I filled my head with the actual case and the script exploded in a 2 week fever dream of non-stop writing.
Q. Did you have any of the cast in mind for the characters when writing the script?
A. I originally wrote Dorothea for Sharon Stone, but Susan Priver was so good in Ed Kemper (2025) that I offered it to her. No regrets, she’s AMAZING in it!
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969) and Goodfellas really clicked for this one.
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. No, it was followed pretty close.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Getting to bury Ezra Buzzington.
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. No, smooth as silk. After making numerous films with the same team, we’ve got it down to a science.
Q. What makes Dorothea stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I try to make the victims and their killers as human as possible, and in that, relatable to the audience. It’s important to try and get inside the head of the both to tell the story as real as possible, including the violence, terror and aftermath. I feel true crime is so popular because it really happened and could happen again to you, me, or the next door neighbour.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I hope it sparks an interest to dive deeper into Dorothea’s case and true crime in general.
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. We’re putting the finishing touches on Sunset Strip Killers and then shooting Devil’s Disciple: The
Night Stalker in February.
Q. If someone was looking to write and direct their own film what advice would you give them?
A. Sam Fuller said it best, “To be honest, you must hit the nail on the head right from the start. In order to make a motion picture, you must have money. And in order to have money you’ve got to woo people. And in order to woo people, you’ve got to bullshit ’em. . . . The last thing in the world to be worried about is how to make the picture. After the money, the most important thing to worry about is the erection you get of wanting to make a film, a certain film, and nothing would stop you. A man in prison who wants to draw finds a way to draw. A millionaire who wants to paint, paints. This can’t be taught. You’ve got to have an emotional reaction inside.“
Dorothea which will have its UK Premiere at Horror-on-Sea on Friday 23rd January at 12:30hrs.
You can find out more about Horror-on-Sea and purchase tickets for The Resilience 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!
