Film Name: The Harrowing
Director: Brendan O’Neill
Writer: Brendan O’Neill
Producer: Brendan O’Neill
Starring: Gem Durham, Honey Harris, Arthur Benson, Darryl Georgiou.
When mysterious spaceships appear over cities worldwide a mother desperately tries to save her children from abduction. They are abducted but return somewhat changed weeks later.
In a new Exclusive Interview on Blazing Minds ahead of Horror-on-Sea I got a chance to ask Co- Writer/Director Brendan O’Neill a few questions about the film ‘The Harrowing‘
The Harrowing will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 19th January at 3.00pm
Q. Your film has been selected to play at the Horror-on-Sea Film Festival. Can you tell us what we can expect?
A. It’s a teaser short for a longer feature length film about children worldwide being abducted by aliens. They are then returned weeks later with amazing special powers such as telekinesis and ambiguous purpose. It was made for the London Sci-Fi Society 48 hour filmmaking competition.
Q. What were some of your influences when writing the script?
A. It is meant as a mixture of Village of the Damned (The Midwich Cuckoos) meets Independence day
Q. What were some of your influences for the look and style of the film?
A. As above. Village of the Damned (The Midwich Cuckoos) meets Independence day
Q. Did you make any changes from the original script during filming?
A. Yes. There’s always changes. A film always changes when developed, when shot and then in Post. Opportunities often present themselves on set. I hadn’t seen the actual location before but struck out really lucky with it. The breakfast room having French widows with a clear view of the garden was perfect.
Q. What were some of your favourite moments during filming?
A. Originally in the script, lead actor Gem Durham (Felicity’s Journey) was supposed to be sitting on the other side of the table after her character’s children were abducted – swigging vodka/gin and chugging anti-depressants. My multi talented cinematographer Matt Hickinbottom (@musicalmotionpictures) suggested she sit on the floor instead which worked a lot better for the scene. The clothes she changed into were deliberately chosen to match the wall paper and thus the blue mood. Matt shot the film, did location sound and score and then edited it and did some of the VFX.
I was also very pleased with my first ever practical effect – levitating the starry globe ornament with old school fishing rod and reel. I used the wrong type of monofilament colour (blue) though so it took ages to paint out in Post the following day. A clear monofilament would have been easier to paint out. We were very lucky too with the starry globe as it just happened to be there. It wasn’t bought in purposefully as a prop.
I was very pleased with our VFX guy Mark Lunn (www.mldfvfx.com/about). He did a great job of the alien ship – just the right size and spinning as well as actor Arthur Benson’s shutter eyes at the end
Q. Did you experience any issues during filming?
A. We managed to lock ourselves out of Gem and Honey’s house when shooting in the street. Fortunately Gem was able to get into her garden through a neighbours house and reopen the front door.
I wish I’d lit the hallway scene when the kids return a bit better. I also wish I’d have Arthur Benson’s character say “Mom, Mom, There’s a spaceship” rather than ”Mom, Mom, It’s a spaceship” but that’s a minor error. I and others thought the kids were both great on their screen debuts and Honey won a Best Young Actor award.
The whole cast except my friend Darryl – the man in the street – came recommended to me by Ross Berkley Simpson of First Act Workshops here in Birmingham. Ross is a former assistant to Colin Edwards at The ITV Workshop.
Q. What makes it stand out as something different in the horror genre?
A. I think the main thing is giving these changed, abducted children superpowers as it’s a very commercial well trodden path. It’s similar to Wolverine’s Logan in some respects. The ambiguity of what they might do with those powers would help increase dramatic tension and thus entertain the audience.
Q. What do you hope people take away after watching the film?
A. I’ve had a lot of people say that they would like to see a feature length version of the story so it would be great to find a producer/financier to help me get it made. “Too short!!!! This beginning is as exciting as ET. Even the actors are professionals, I mean like the well known ones. I find the flying saucer above the ordinary row of houses still scary as if it was a new thing in the cinema” – Vimeo Comment
Q. Do you have any other projects which you are currently working on?
A. I’ve recently submitted a funding bid with my UK based Irish producer to Screen Ireland for the chance of a €750-950k budget feature under their Perspectives scheme. I became an Irish citizen post Brexit which qualified me in applying for their schemes.
I have the cinematographer from Game of Thrones and Vikings officially attached to my bid plus a brilliant script editor/developer who I did a workshop with earlier this year.
The cinematographer used to live next door to Irish playwright John B Keane in Listowel, County Kerry. He loved a Kerry set poem that I dedicated to him for his 70th birthday. It’s the same poem that Seamus Heaney wrote to say he liked.
I had two poems featured alongside work by Seamus Heaney and other notables in the Trinity College Dublin literary magazine College Green in 2000. Here’s the other one.
I also have two spec feature screenplay writing projects. One a supernatural serial killer, creature feature story out of Minneapolis with a director friend of my film and music video director friend Phil Harder (www.phil-harder.com).
I shared a big house in Lewisham with Phil and his then girlfriend Isabelle during the mid 90’s. Phil shot Cornershop’s Brimful of Asha music video in the room above mine. It was in the MTV top 100 hundred music videos for many years. Phil has made video for the likes of Prince (Cinnamon Girl), The Cranberries (Just my Imagination) and Low amongst many others.
I was always tickled when Phil and Isabelle came to stay with me in my little 1000 spider cottage in rural County Galway after staying with Dolores O’Riordan at her estate in County Limerick. A lot of my #TheAnvilEarth poems were written there.
I’m developing that serial killer, creature feature idea with a brilliant London based script editor/developer who is also a producer with a great track record of films at major festivals.
You can follow Brendan O’Neill on the following social media: Instagram – Twitter
The Harrowing will play at Horror-on-Sea on Sunday 19th January at 3.00pm
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!
